Hamad underscores need to bury political differences

THE Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad, has underscored the need for political parties to bury their political differences and work together to develop Zanzibar after the forthcoming elections.

Mr Hamad said here on Tuesday in his weekly media briefing that after the elections there would be no losers or winners but all parties that would have seats in the House of Representatives would jointly form the next government.

"We must therefore show political will to work together for our Islands," he said with hope that the majority of Zanzibaris would favour him for the presidency and Dr Ali Mohamed Shein as his First Vice-President.

Enlightening journalists about his strategy to develop the education sector, Hamad said he would re-establish Nkrumah Teachers College, and the Institute of Kiswahili and Foreign Languages should he win the forthcoming general elections.

The Kiswahili Institute (Taasisi ya Kiswahili na Lugha za Kigeni) at the Mnazi Mmoja, and the teachers college which is well known by the name Beit el Rasi, are now part of the government owned State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), but Mr Hamad wants the institutions to be separated and developed.

"We cannot achieve our goals without developing the education sector. Even poverty has remained a big challenge just because our education system is still poor. My government will review the education system with the objective of developing it," said Hamad.

He said that President Karume had made some recognizable changes in education, "but there is still a lot to be done including careful budget allocation, accountability, and the fight against corruption in education particularly to minimize exams cheating."

Mr Hamad, a trained teacher, and once the minister of education in Zanzibar government, promised also to review the school curricula, end students congestion in classes from the current about 80 to at least 35 per class, and improve the inspection unit.

"Teachers should expect improved welfare to include good wage and housing, better working environment by making sure that most schools have enough text books, desks in classrooms, libraries, and laboratories".

Mr Hamad said that he was eager to move Zanzibar into a bright future.

The presidential candidate promised to provide computers to schools, and connect all higher learning institutions with computers in efforts to move students to the digital world of science and technology, and encourage innovation.

"CUF government of national unity plans to end brain-drain, school drop-outs, absenteeism in schools," he told journalists adding that he would also introduce special buses for students, encourage transfer of powers in the administration system, and encourage and promote women and people with disabilities in schools to higher education.