ZANZIBAR President Amani Abeid Karume yesterday reaffirmed that he is not ready to extend his presidential term.

ZANZIBAR President Amani Abeid Karume yesterday reaffirmed that he is not ready to extend his presidential term.

President Karume told the CCM National Executive Committee (NEC) for Zanzibar, that he still stood by his statement on the 46th Zanzibar Revolution Anniversary celebrations in Pemba, on extension of his tenure of office.

There has been mounting pressure by the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), for constitutional changes to allow Dr Karume, who is serving his second and final five-year presidential term that ends in October, to continue with Zanzibar presidency.

Briefing reporters after a one-day meeting of Zanzibar NEC chaired by Dr Karume, CCM Deputy Secretary General, Mr Saleh Ramadhan Feruzi, said that the issue came up after some members asked for a formal statement on the matter.

"The president said the debate on the issue is closed, because he had already made the statement on it and is not willing to spend more time explaining it anymore," Mr Feruzi said.

He said the meeting was also attended by the Vice- President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, former president Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Chief Minister, Shamsi Vuai Nahodha and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pandu Ameir Kificho.

He said the delegates, among other things, demanded a formal statement on the discussions between President Karume and the CUF Secretary General, Mr Seif Sharrif Hamad, when they met at the State House in Zanzibar recently.

After the meeting, Mr Hamad declared that CUF was formally recognising Dr Karume, as the legitimate winner of the 2005 presidential poll.

Mr Feruzi further said the meeting also discussed the private motion moved by CUF legislators in the House of Representatives, calling for a government of national unity in Zanzibar.

"The delegates supported the move by the CUF representatives, but resolved that the matter should not be discussed by NEC until it has been exhausted in the House of Representatives," he said.

However, he said that the delegates resolved further that any proposal for the government of national unity must be decided through a referendum.

"If you may recall, the NEC meeting in Butiama, last year, agreed on the formation of a government of national unity, but the move should be decided through a referendum," he said.