Minister of Union Mohammed Seif Khatib single out Pembans are not Tanzania citizen?

Enough guarantees of rule of law in Zanzibar`s
By Guardian Reporter
15th August 2009
Hamza Hassan Juma, Minister of State in the Zanzibar Chief Ministers Office.
Zanzibar has warned against foreign interference in its politics and other internal affairs, saying that the Isles’ Constitutions provided enough guarantees for the rule of law.

Hamza Hassan Juma, Minister of State in the Zanzibar Chief Minister’s Office, told a news conference here yesterday that his office was surprised by Thursday’s statement by the Western foreign missions expressing dissatisfaction with the handling of the ongoing voters’ registration process in Pemba.

“Let me put the record straight: no one is being denied registration in Pemba, but there are people lacking legal standing to qualify for acquisition of Zanzibar Residents’ Identity Cards. Some have failed to submit even birth certificates to justify their citizenship,” he said.

He explained that there was no official communication until yesterday between the Zanzibar government and the EU Heads of Mission, adding that it would be more appropriate if members of the diplomatic corps sought information from all sides concerned instead of relying on only one source.

“President Amani Karume had been working hard to ensure that every citizen has an equal opportunity to register so as to be able to exercise his or her constitutional right to participate in the electoral process,” noted the minister.

Diplomats from the European Union, Canada, Japan, Norway and the United States on Thursday expressed concern over what they referred to as “flawed elements” in the voter registration process in Zanzibar, calling for action to redress the situation.

The EU Heads of Mission draws members from Belgium, Denmark, the European Commission Delegation, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Muhammed Seif Khatib, Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union Affairs), told The Guardian when asked for comment on the matter yesterday that the Union government had completely nothing to do with voter registration process in Pemba.

“The Union government has its electoral agency, which is the National Electoral Commission. In Zanzibar there is the Zanzibar Electoral Commission,” he said Khatib in a telephone interview.


SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN