Feb 15, 2005

Zanzibar: Lipumba Set to Collect CUF Election Papers


Chairman of the opposition Civic United Front Prof Ibrahim Lipumba is today expected to pick up nomination papers ahead of the October general elections
Chairman of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) Prof Ibrahim Lipumba is today expected to pick up nomination papers ahead of the October general elections.

Prof Lipumba intends to contest the Union presidency in the poll on a CUF ticket.

CUF Secretary-General Seif Shariff Hamad has already applied for nomination as the party’s candidate for the Zanzibar presidency.

Both Lipumba and Hamad are expected to be nominated without much ado.

CUF is the biggest opposition party in Zanzibar and Hamad is expected to take on CCM’s President Amani Abeid Karume who will be seeking a second and final five-year term in this year’s elections.

It will be the third time that Hamad will be taking a shot at the Zanzibar presidency after losing to CCM candidates Dr Salmin Amour and Karume in the 1995 and 2000 elections.

Prof Lipumba made an unsuccessful attempt in 2000 when he and other opposition candidates lost to CCM’s President Benjamin Mkapa who is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term.

The decision by CUF and several other opposition parties to pick their candidates ahead of the elections means that calls for the opposition to forge a united front against CCM have been largely ignored.

Source: Guardian