Dec 21, 2002

Zanzibar: Third Ordinary Session of the National Governing Council of the Civic United Front (CUF)


The National Governing Council (NGC) of the CUF discussed several important issues during its 3rd Ordinary Session held in Dar es Salaam from 19 - 20 December 2002. An item of particular importance was its deliberations on the Report of the Mbita Presidential Commission on the political violence and killings that occured on 26 and 27 January 2001, following the December 2000 national elections turmoil in Zanzibar. The Commission was established by the Tanzanian government.

Hundreds of CUF supporters and members, forming the opposition against the CCM ruling party, were attacked, injured or killed, while others fled to Mombasa, Kenya where they seeked political refuge. The UNPO, at the request of its member, the CUF, assisted in securing the safety of the refugees through contact with the UNHCR office in Kenya. The NGC, in its resolution, commended the Tanzanian government for conducting the investigation, while several shortcomings were also highlighted.

A strongly worded resolution was issued on the Report of the Implementation of the CCM-CUF MUAFAKA Accord. The Accord is regarded as a positive step towards reforming and democratising the Zanzibar electoral system, following the serious mismanagement on the December 2000 elections. The NGC, while welcoming the steps taken thus far to implement the Accord, expressed disappointment in the progress to establish a credible permanent voter register. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission is being accused of deliberately delaying preparations for the voter register at the eve of the forthcoming by-elections on the island of Pemba. The NGC also issued a resolution on the preparations for the by-elections in Pemba.

The full text of the resolutions follows hereunder.

 

RESOLUTIONS ON HASHIM MBITA'S REPORT ON THE EVENTS OF 26th - 27th JANUARY, 2001

The National Governing Council has received and discussed the Report of the Presidential Commission formed to investigate the events of the 26th - 27th January, 2001 that led to the loss of lives of many people, made hundreds disabled and forced thousands to take refuge in Mombasa, Kenya. The Retired Brigadier General Hashim Mbita led the Commission.

After thorough examination of the Report The Governing Council deliberated the findings and the recommendations of the Mbita's Commission's Report and made the following Resolutions: The Governing Council:

1. Commends the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for making public the Mbita's Report. In doing so, the Government has made history, as this is the first report of its kind to be made public.

2. Finds that the Mbita's Report has many shortcomings, in spite of the fact that the Report has confirmed CUF's claims on a number of issues and those of some national and international organizations, claims that were refuted by the Ruling Party, CHAMA CHA MAPINDUZI (CCM) and its two governments.

3. Is of the opinion that the Mbita's Commission was more concerned with finding ways to clear CCM and its two governments from blame on the causes of the events of 26th - 27th January, 2001, and instead to throw all the blame to CUF and the general public.

4. Believes that the shortcomings in the Report are so fundamental that they render the whole Report meaningless.

5. Directs the National Executive Committee of CUF to take immediate steps to publish and make public the CUF's detailed re-port on its own findings of the events of 26th - 27th January,2001 with all supporting evidence so that the general public in Tanzania and the world at large know the other side of the story.

6. Calls upon the Government of the United Republic to declare its position on the Mbita's Report so that the Tanzanians and the world understand that position.

7. Urges the President of Zanzibar to make public the two Reports of the Presidential Committees established to probe into the claims of those whose houses were demolished in Mtoni Kidatu, and the claims of those who were expelled from the civil service or demoted, and students who were denied education opportunities on political grounds.

8. Directs the CUF National Executive Committee to formally write to the Government of the United Republic explaining CUF's position on the Mbita's Report.

 

REGARDING THE REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CCM - CUF ACCORD (MUAFAKA)

The Governing Council:

Has received and discussed the report on the implementation of the CCM - CUF Accord (MUAFAKA) and resolved as follows:

The Governing Council:

(i) Has been disappointed by the long delay in the appointment of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission [ZEC] and suspects that that delay was deliberate with the intention of spoiling the preparation of the permanent and credible voter register that is supposed to be ready for the by- elections in seventeen constituencies in Pemba while at the same time applauds the steps so far taken in the implementation of MUAFAKA.

(ii) Calls upon the Zanzibar Electoral Commission to ensure that the permanent and credible voter register shall be in place for the by -elections in Pemba so as to avoid perceptions among the general population that can take us back to the pre-MUAFAKA period.

(iii) Calls upon the new ZEC to speed up the review of its secretariat and to make all the necessary changes of the same as provided for in the MUAFAKA.

(iv) Urges ZEC to replace the current Director of Elections by a new Director as soon as possible, because the current Director was fully involved in the mismanagement of the 2000 general elections as he was the chief executive officer of the former ZEC.

(v) Is very much disappointed by President Amani Abeid Karume for his failure to appoint two persons from CUF to the House of Representatives without giving any good reasons, and calls upon him to appoint the two persons from CUF into the House of Representatives as stipulated in the MUAFAKA so as to clear away any doubts about his good will with regards to its implementation.

 

REGARDING THE BY - ELECTIONS IN PEMBA

The Governing Council:

(i) Calls upon all CUF Members in Pemba to prepare themselves fully for the by - elections in the seventeen constituencies so as to ensure full victory for the party.

(ii) Has received with great alarm the news about the formation by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar of a new paramilitary force known as Kikosi cha Valantia Zanzibar (KVZ) [Zanzibar Volunteer Force], which in its daily activities seems to be aligned to the ruling party, instead of acting as a national force that does not discriminate people on grounds of political beliefs.

(iii) Condemns the establishment of new paramilitary camps in the constituencies where by - elections will be held and the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government's intention to fill those camps with youths from outside those constituencies, for obviously this is a political move that is against the letter and the spirit of MUAFAKA.

 

Issued in Dar es Salaam, Saturday, 21st December, 2002