Zanzibar invites US, EU envoys
Salma Said, Zanzibar.
In a dramatic turn of events, Zanzibar has invited European Union and United States representatives in Tanzania for talks with President Amani Abeid Karume.
This has happened two days after it told the EU and US to keep off the isle�s affairs.
The invitation was confirmed yesterday by the minister of State in the office of the Chief Minister, Mr Hamza Hassan Juma, when he addressed a press conference in his office at Vuga, Mjini Magharibi.
He said he had called the conference to explain remarks he made earlier concerning the donors, which attracted headlines in the mainstream mass media yesterday.
The minister said the Government was using the opportunity to explain its position on the controversy. It would also respond to some of the concerns raised by the donors during the week.
However, he did not say if the donors had accepted the invitation. Yet, there are reports that the same donors� representatives were scheduled to tour Zanzibar from next week.
During the tour they would hold talks with various organisations and individuals, including the mass media.
Minister Juma did not want to link the visit with the invitation by the Isle�s government, but reiterated his earlier statement condemning the donor community.
Said he: �Zanzibar was very surprised with the press release issued by the EU on August 13 concerning the situation in Pemba, particularly the voter registration and issuing of resident cards.�
He castigated the statement, saying it did not put consider the situation on the ground. He reiterated that it was the belief of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, SMZ, that every national has a right to be registered as a voter.
�The press release did not take into consideration the views of both parties involved; neither did it consider the efforts being made by the SMZ to ensure the whole exercise is peaceful,� he said.
He added that there were deliberate efforts to derail the voter registration exercise. He blamed them on opposition parties, and said they were against diplomatic procedures.
However, even as the SMZ invited the EU dignitaries and other donor countries, it said it was equally disappointed with the abuse of law and democratic principles by some undeserved people. It said these want to get the identity cards for political reasons.
The donor countries had issued the joint statement questioning reported flaws in the voter registration, particularly in Pemba.
Mr Juma added: �These were some of the techniques used by some politicians to deter the growth of democracy in Zanzibar.�
In another development, SMZ has said that it is not a constitutional requirement for Zanzibar�s general elections to be monitored or observed by the UN or the EU as CUF had requested at the beginning of the year.
�There is no need for international observers in the 2010 polls. They conduct their own elections without being interfered with; why should they monitor ours?� queried the minister in statements that could further widen the rift with the development partners.
On Friday the minister told the EU and US to stop interfering in Tanzania�s internal affairs.
But the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) called on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which funds the voter registration exercise, to suspend aid to the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) for allegedly mismanaging it.
In their comments, the EU and US called for the immediate correction of shortcomings which have cropped up during the voter registration exercise in Pemba.
A joint statement issued in Dar es Salaam by representatives of the major donor countries, which fund the national budget by over 34 per cent, said they were �seriously concerned about what appears to be flawed elements in the voter registration process in Zanzibar.�
In response, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister, Mr Bernard Membe, said though he had not received it, they were free to air their views and advice on the issue.
He said the Government was equally concerned about reports on voter registration problems in Zanzibar, but would ensure that all eligible people were registered as voters.
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