Apr 08, 2013

Zanzibar: Potential Membership To The OIC


Zanzibar’s new constitution might allow it to join the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), formerly known as the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Below is an article published by IPPMedia.com:

The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi in Zanzibar yesterday [6 April 2013] stated that the envisaged new country’s constitution could set a stage for the Indian Ocean archipelago to join the Organization of Islamic Conference ( OIC) in 2014.

CCM Deputy Secretary General (Zanzibar) Vuai Ali Vuai made the statement yesterday during a convocation held at Mbweni in Zanzibar town to remember the Isles’ First President and founding father Sheikh Abeid Aman Karume.

According to Vuai, allowing Zanzibar to join OIC would be among the best ways to safeguard the union between Zanzibar and the Mainland. Vuai said Zanzibar’s quest to join OIC should not be viewed as a strategy to break the existing Union.

Addressing 600 CCM delegates from all Zanzibar’s five regions Vuai said the new constitution will take on board issues beneficial to Zanzibaris, including overhauling the autonomous state’s foreign relations.

“There are some matters that we have agreed to be deleted in the list of Union matters in high level party meetings. These include natural gas, oil, ports, statistics and international relations so that Zanzibar could be allowed to join OIC and other organizations,” Vuai said.

In 1993 Zanzibar unilaterally joined the OIC sparking a tremor in the country’s politics but pulled out after facing a real threat of exit from the union on that basis.

Speaking on Sheikh Karume’s contribution, he said his rule helped improve the provision of education, build national cohesion among Zanzibaris and provide housing settlements.