ACT-Wazalendo eye start of campaign as ZEC clears Seif
What you need to know:
Mr Hamad had to wait until yesterday evening to know his nomination fate following objections filed by his Demokrasia Makini (DP) and Democratic Party (DP) counterparts.
Dar es Salaam. ACT-Wazalendo’s presidential candidate for Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, will launch his election campaigns tomorrow - just a day after being nominated by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Mr Hamad had to wait until yesterday evening to know his nomination fate following objections filed by his Demokrasia Makini (DP) and Democratic Party (DP) counterparts.
Announcing ZEC decisions, the electoral body’s chairman Judge (rtd) Hamid Mahmoud Hamid said filed objections have been dropped after finding them that they didn’t hold water.
“Mr Hamad has been reinstated to start campaigning as ACT-Wazalendo presidential candidate,” said Mr Hamid during the live broadcasts via a state television.
Following the decision, ZEC director of Elections, Mr Thabit Idarous Faina, handed over nomination certificate to Mr Hamad’s representative.
Mr Hamad becomes the 17th presidential candidate after 16 others were endorsed on Thursday.
Their names and respective political parties in brackets are: Juma Ali Khatib (Ada-Tadea), Said Soud Said (AAFP), Mussa Haji Kombo (CUF), Hamad Rashid Mohamed (ADC), Dr Husein Ali Mwinyi (CCM), Mfaume Khamis Hassan (NLD), Ali Omar Juma (Chaumma) and Issa Mohamed Zonga (SAU),
Others are Ameir Hassan Ameir (DM), Hamad Azizi Ali (UPDP), Khamis Faki Mgau (NRA), Shafi Hassan Sueliman (DP), Othaman Rashid Khamis (CCK), Husein Juma Salim (TLP), Mohamed Omar Shaame (UMD) and Said Issa Mohamed (Chadema).
Contacted after ZEC decisions party’s secretary of Information, publicity and public communications Salim Bimani told The Citizen that at least justice has taken its course.
“Arbitrary objections and disqualification of our candidates is an indication that there are people fearing elections and would like to secure victories without elections,” he said, adding.
“But, after ZEC decisions, we are now going to launch our election campaigns on Sunday at the Kimbandamaiti grounds in Unguja,” he said.
Earlier, he told The Citizen that the DM and DP lodged objections over the party’s name that appear in Mr Hamad’s documents presented at ZEC and the date at which the affidavit was taken. “They were of the view that our party was registered as Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT- Wazalendo) and that ACT-Wazalendo was not recognized,” he said.
According to him, another objection was filed on grounds that papers showed that Mr Hamad’s affidavit was signed on another date not September 10, stipulated by ZEC.
Earlier, Mr Bimani released a press statement on Thursday saying a team of lawyers had been formed to address Mr Hamad’s objection challenge.
In a statement, he said objections have been filed against all ACT-Wazalendo’s parliamentarian candidates in Pemba as well as 19 others in Unguja making a total of 37.
He named Unguja constituencies as Bububu; Mtoni; Mfenesini; Mwanakwerekwe; Pangawe; Kiembesamaki, Dimani; Fuoni; Uzini; Chwaka; Tunguu; Dumbwini; Donge; Mahonda; Nungwi; Chaani; Kijini; Tumbatu and Mkwajuni.
According to him, ACT-Wazalendo’s parliamentary candidates also filed 24 objections against CCM hopefuls in Micheweni, Wingwi, Tumbe, Konde, Wete, Gando, Pandani, Kojani, Mtambwe, Ole, Ziwani, Wawi, Chakechake, Chonga, Mtambile, Mkoani and Kiwani in Pemba.
The same was done against CCM aspirants for Nungwi, Chaani, Mkwajuni, Kijini, Mtoni, Kikwajuni and Makunduchi constituencies in Unguja.
“However, election supervisors denied our candidates with objection payslips as instructed by elections regulations,” according to his statement.
Tweeting shortly before commissioning his election campaigns in Kigoma Urban Constituency, party leader Zitto Kabwe says, “Our Presidential candidate for Zanzibar elections Maalim @SeifSharifHamad has been objected hence not yet nominated to start campaigning. Team of lawyers is working on responses to the objections. 100% of candidates in Pemba objected and many in Unguja.”
In his reaction, former University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) senior lecturer, Prof Abdul Sherrif said he expected to see democracy prosperity but on contrary some leadership aspirants are locked out.
“The number of objections and disqualifications to leadership hopefuls was extremely higher than any time in the country’s history,” he said, noting that objections against Mr Hamad unnecessarily rose election temperature in the Isles.
