CUF makes new demands to ZEC on voter registration

CUF Director for Human Rights and Communication, Salum Bimani

CUF makes new demands to ZEC on voter registration
By Guardian Reporter
12th August 2009
CUF Director for Human Rights and Communication, Salum Bimani
The Civic United Front (CUF) gave new demands to the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) to end the boycott by its Pemba members of the voter registration exercise.

Among them was for ZEC to register all its members said to have been deliberately left out during the exercise.

The party’s Director for Human Rights and Communication, Salum Bimani said a number of CUF members in Konde, Micheweni, Mgogoni and Tumbe constituencies were not registered.

“The boycott will not end until all our members in all constituencies are properly registered. If they are not there will be no elections in Zanzibar”, warned Bimani.

He said ZEC had defied orders by Zanzibar President Amani Karume to issue residential identities to all Zanzibari citizens to allow registration of all eligible voters.

The Director for Residential Identities Registration Board, Mohamed Juma Ame said a total of 501,027 people in Unguja and Pemba have been provided with residential identities, adding those currently holding the valid documents were 9,076 people in Tumbe, 9022 in Konde, 8447 in Mgogoni and 9448 others in Micheweni.

However, Mohamed raised concern over the discrepancy regarding the number seeking registration compared to those issued with the IDs. He said in Mgogoni only 6,285 people were registered against 8,447 issued with the IDs.


SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN