Thursday 20 August 2009

We'll register all-Karume

The Zanzibar President, Mr Aman Abeid Karume
By The Citizen Reporter

The Zanzibar President, Mr Aman Abeid Karume, has assured the international community that anomalies that have cropped up in the voter registration exercise will be addressed and that no eligible Zanzibari will be left out of the exercise.

The Isles leader gave the assurance in Zanzibar yesterday when he met diplomats from European Union (EU) countries, only days after the envoys had criticised the flawed voter registration exercise.

Briefing reporters on the outcome of the meeting between the President Karume and the ambassadors held at the Zanzibar State House yesterday, the minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Bernard Membe, who also attended the meeting, said the meeting was help to ensure that next year's general election would be free and fair.

The President said Zanzibar resident identity cards would be distributed to all disserving residents in the Isles so that they are all registered ahead of the forthcoming polls.

During the meeting, the diplomats were told that the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) was to blame for some problems which affected the registration process.

It was observed that after the opposition party boycotted 2005 election results, many Pemba island residents, shunned the IDs. Todate, there are about 7,845 IDs which are yet to be collected in Pemba.

Mr Membe said since the number of youths who have qualify to vote has increased, President Karume has directed that more registration centres be opened to cater for increased eligible voters turnout.

"Mr Karume has ordered that four extra centres be opened for those who have attained voting age to be registered," said minister Membe.

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