STATE HOUSE STATEMENT

The State House has learnt, with regret, claims by the Secretary General of the Civic United Front (CUF) and its Presidential candidate in this year’s General Elections in Zanzibar, Honorable Seif Shariff Hamad, that he has been ignored and his request for an appointment with President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, to discuss the political situation in Zanzibar, turned down.

The State House would like to categorically deny that it has received any request from Honorable Hamad for him to meet President Kikwete since voting day in Zanzibar on Sunday and subsequent nullification of the election process in Zanzibar by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairman Jecha Salim Jecha on Tuesday.

What President Kikwete has received, are complaints by CUF about some actions from some sections of the Police Force in Zanzibar and a request for him to facilitate a conversation between Honorable Hamad and the Chief of the Armed Forces (CDF) General Davis Mwamunyange.

Subsequently, President Kikwete, who is also Commander-in–Chief, has instructed the Inspector-General of Police Ernest Mangu to investigate these claims by CUF and report back to him. Accordingly, he has also instructed his office to facilitate a conversation between General Mwamunyange and CUF officials. 

The State House would like to confirm that President Kikwete is as concerned about the political and security situation in Zanzibar as every Tanzanian is, and has been working tirelessly and consulting widely over the last few days to find amicable and peaceful resolution to the situation in Zanzibar.

While the matter remains firmly in the hands of an independent electoral body in Zanzibar, President Kikwete would like to express his readiness to do whatever is in his powers to regularize the situation in Zanzibar.

ISSUED BY THE DIRECTORATE OF PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS

STATE HOUSE

DAR ES SALAAM.

31, OCTOBER, 2015