Now Seif locked out of House of Reps’ final session

Zanzibar. What started as a promising future for Zanzibar is turning out to be a fresh political battle, reminding the country the bad old days of teargas, bullets and blood that dominated the Isles between 1995 and 2005. It is like things are falling apart, whereby the centre can no longer hold the clove islands together as Zanzibar’s arch political rivals, the ruling CCM and opposition CUF, end their Government of National Unity (GNU) with animosity—just four months to the General Election. Yesterday, Members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives barred First Vice President, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad, from attending the crucial function of dissolving the august House today.

The move comes as CUF representatives vowed not to attend the session, after the two parties to the GNU fell out earlier in the week.

The Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, will address the House, during a ceremony which will signal the dissolution of the House of Representatives—after being functional for five years.

According to the 2010 Constitutional Amendment, the Zanzibar President has two deputies, with the First Vice President coming from the Opposition while the Second Vice President comes from the ruling party.

The historic amendment paved the way for the establishment of the GNU, which ended a decade long political acrimonies that pitted the two leading political parties.

To some analysts, the GNU was seen as the beginning of a new Zanzibar, but judging from the political situation in the wake of events taking place there, the Indian Ocean archipelago is heading toward another era of animosities.

Yesterday the House of Reps, which was attended by CCM members only, excluded Mr Hamad while allowing Zanzibar Chief Justice Omar Othman Makungu and the President’s bodyguard to enter the debating chamber.

As that happened, CUF Reps remained outside the House since, having walked out on Tuesday protesting what they said was bureaucracy in voter listing and unacceptable issuance of residential identity cards.

Earlier, the Minister of State in the Second Vice President’s Office, Mr Mohamed Aboud Mohamed, tabled before the House a government’s notice over revoking the Standing Orders for such a purpose.

The House Speaker, Mr Pandu Ameir Kificho, then questioned the Reps about the notice, and they okayed all others except Mr Hamad.

Mr Kificho repeated the question three times but the response remained unanimous that the First Vice President should be barred from attending the House of Reps session.

When the decision was arrived at, Mr Aboud then said following the move, the next step would require Speaker Kificho to write to First Vice President Hamad informing him about the House’s decision.

“The House of Representatives is an autonomous organ, and we (the government) have no power to intervene, and Standing Orders direct that to allow a non-member to enter the debating chamber, the Speaker must ask the House to revoke some sections of the same,” he explained.

For his part, Acting Chief whip of the CCM, Mr Ali Salum Haji, who is representative of Kwahani Constituency, said the decision to stop Mr Hamad was a result of action by ministers and Reps—who are affiliated to CUF—of boycotting the Bill on expenditure for the 2015/16 Budget.