NEW ZANZIBAR NEW DIRECTION

Look forward, Zanzibaris urged
Salma Said, Zanzibar

The ruling party in Zanzibar has called on its members to stop being hostages of their dark history but strive to promote unity instead.

CCM Deputy Secretary General for Zanzibar Mr Saleh Ramadhan Ferouz said there was a group of people still held hostage by the dark side of the history.

"We are often asked by our members whether we can trust CUF after the newly found alliance between the opposition and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar," he said.

He further said parties sowed seeds of division in the past and asked fellow Zanzibaris to look beyond their history and embrace each other.

"Never will colonialism come back to Zanzibar , Zanzibaris must refrain from harboring hatrate founded on the past," he said.

He elaborated that there were some CCM members who felt that collaborating with CUF would take them back to the colonial past, which was wrong.

"There is no single colonial political party in Zanzibar and the country is under the leadership of its indigenous people," he said.

"It is difficult to imagine that there are still some people among us who believe that colonialism can return to Zanzibar in this 21st century which we live in, we must reach a point where we have to let bygones be bygones," he said.

He called on all Zanzibaris to work together and write a new history for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Following the announcement that CCM and CUF had agreed to work together in finding a lasting peace for Zanzibar, the ruling party has faced tough questions from its supporters.

Mr Ferouz said they were being asked whether the 2010 general election will be held sinceCUF seems to be in in bed with CCM.

He continued to say that following the public awareness campaigns being undertaken by his party, people were being educated on the alliance and the future of the isles politics.

Mr Ferouz's call comes after CUG General Secretary Seif Sharrif Hamad and President Amani Karume met on November 5th to end their differences.

It was a historical development that has turned Zanzibar's hostile politics