Ruling party legislators supporting private motion on the matter risk disciplinary action

Ruling party legislators supporting private motion on the matter risk
`disciplinary action`*
Vice Chairman of CCM (Zanzibar), president Aman Abeid Karume, (C),
clapping at the start of a special meeting of CCM National Executive
Committee (NEC) in Zanzibar. (Photo: VPO)

The ruling CCM warned yesterday that it would take disciplinary action
against its legislators who will support a private motion in the Zanzibar
House of Representatives seeking the formation of a coalition government in
Zanzibar. Vuai Ali Vuai, the party’s publicity secretary in the Isles,
issued the warning at a National Electoral Committee meeting held here at
the weekend.

He said all CCM members in the House of Representatives are duty bound to
respect the resolutions reached at the committee’s March 2008 meeting at
Butiama, Mara Region.

It was widely believed that the CCM top organ’s expected endorsement of a
power sharing deal between the ruling party and the opposition Civic United
Front (CUF) would have ended the inter-party political conflict triggered by
the disputed 2005 polls in Zanzibar. However, no such endorsement was
forthcoming, as the ruling party instead recommended the holding of a
referendum in Zanzibar on the matter. The plan was that the formation of a
coalition government for Zanzibar could be considered only after the
referendum.

“All party members in the House of Representatives are responsible for
defending and protecting the Butiama agreement. *Punitive measures will be
taken against and anyone going against the letter and spirit of the accord,”
* noted Vuai.

Plans to form a coalition government in Zanzibar failed after CUF refused to
resume ‘muafaka’ (reconciliation) talks with CCM, arguing that the decision
to hold a referendum reached at Butiama ran against a previous deal
involving the two parties. “After lengthy deliberations on the coalition
government idea, CCM members in the House of Representatives have been given
the opportunity to discuss the motion, which will be tabled in the House. *But
they are still duty bound to defend and protect the party’s
interests,”*stated Vuai.

He added that Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume had declared at a recent
meeting with members of the powerful CCM committee that he had no plans to
contravene the Constitution and seek to extend his presidential tenure after
it expires in October.

The private motion on the formation of coalition government is expected to
be tabled in the House of Representatives any time this week and either
endorsed or rejected. But there are complications, mainly associated with
the country’s constitutional (Union) set-up, under which *Zanzibar enjoy
autonomy only in relation to some aspects.*

Zanzibar residents are widely divided over the issue, with some supporting
the referendum idea and others wanting the sweeping changes sought to take
effect straight away.



SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN