Seif Sharif : Why opposition needs one strong Union candidate

 Kigoma. ACT–Wazalendo’s Zanzibar presidential candidate Seif Sharif Hamad on Saturday expressed his confidence on Chadema’s Union presidential candidate Tundu Lissu.

 Addressing residents of Ujiji at the Kibirizi Primary School grounds in Kigoma Municipality, Mr Hamad said citizens had the power to elect an opposition candidate into the highest office of the land.

 Mr Hamad, who doubles as ACT-Wazalendo’s chairman, said every voter should make it his or her mission to remove CCM and its presidential candidate John Magufuli from power come October 28 during polls.

The veteran politician hoped that the opposition would ultimately rally behind one presiden- tial candidate for the Union presidency to avoid splitting the votes.

 He said, if elected Zanzibar president, he would, in cooperation with the would-be Union president, waive student loans at higher learning institutions, among other things.

“If we are elected into power, we will provide free education from primary school to higher learning levels including waiving student loans,” said Mr Hamad.

 He promised to form a gov- ernment that will pay attention to the downtrodden matters as well as ensure that those fishermen on Lake Tanganyika whose fishing gear were impounded and destroyed over claims of illegal fishing are appropriately compensated for.

He urged Kigoma Urban residents to vote for Mr Kabwe in order for him to continue representing them in policy and decision making organs.

 The party’s Kigoma Urban Constituency secretary Idd Sumvya said citizens had the obligation of casting votes in large numbers, and that the leaders would take it upon themselves to defend the victory, calling on them to vote for Zitto.

Speaking after the meeting, some citizens expressed their optimism that the opposition party was considering compensating those who had incurred losses due to fish seizure by the authorities.

“I’m still struggling to service loans I secured from a financial institution in order to engage in the sardines business. Unfortunately, the product’s impounding has left me in serious financial troubles. Therefore, I have been consoled by the party’s promise,” said a resident of Kibirizi, Ms Ashura Ramadhani.

 During the meeting, citizens stood silent for a minute to pray for Mr Kabwe, who survived a car accident this week while continuing with political activities in Kigoma South Constituency.

The politician and four other party members, who sustained injuries, were airlifted to Dar es Salaam and admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital for treatment.