ACT-Wazalendo wraps up Zanzibar primaries with 606 aspirants
Unguja. ACT-Wazalendo has concluded its internal primaries in Zanzibar, with 606 members vying for parliamentary, House of Representatives, and councillor positions ahead of the October 2025 General Election.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, by the party’s Secretary for Ideology, Information, Publicity, Communication and Public Affairs, Mr Salim Bimani, during a press briefing at the party’s headquarters in Vuga, Unguja.
“Out of the 606 aspirants who participated in the primaries, 119 contested for House of Representatives seats, 138 for Parliament, 178 for councillor posts, 52 for special parliamentary seats, 51 for special House seats, and 68 for special councillor positions,” said Mr Bimani.
He said the primaries were held over seven days across 50 constituencies in Unguja and Pemba, beginning on June 18 and concluding on July 7, 2025.
Mr Bimani commended all the candidates for demonstrating a strong willingness to serve the party and the public, describing their participation as a clear reflection of commitment to ACT-Wazalendo’s mission.
He noted that the Zanzibar primaries had now been finalised, with the remaining steps being meetings of the secretariat, the special committee, and the general meeting, which will endorse the final list of official candidates.
“Our party is proud to have completed this phase while preserving unity, cohesion, peace, and stability as we prepare to compete for electoral victory,” he said.
Providing a gender breakdown, Mr Bimani revealed that only 40 women had contested in the primaries—13 for parliamentary seats, 15 for House of Representatives, and 12 for councillor posts—representing just 9.2 percent of all aspirants.
“These women have shown exceptional courage by engaging directly in constituency-level politics, clearly articulating their visions and demonstrating how they intend to serve the people,” he added.
Mr Bimani attributed the low number of female contestants to a climate of fear and intimidation that often surrounds competitive politics.
Meanwhile, on June 13, 2025, the party’s Election Committee Secretary, Mr Mhene Said Rashid, disclosed that over 1,000 ACT-Wazalendo members had collected nomination forms to seek leadership positions within the party.
These included the presidency, parliamentary seats, House of Representatives positions, and local council roles.
Mr Mhene said the party remained on course to complete all necessary internal processes and confirm its official line-up of candidates by the end of July.
