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- Jan 6, 2009
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Fresh hope as Karume meets Hamad
Early signs of thawing relations between Zanzibar's main political adversaries emerged yesterday with a rare meeting between President Amani Abeid Karume and his longtime rival and critic, Mr Seif Shariff Hamad.
Mr Hamad stepped into the Zanzibar State House for the first time in several years after repeatedly turning down previous invitations by both President Karume and his predecessor, Dr Salmin Amour.
A brief statement from the State House said the talks between President Karume and Mr Hamad centred on the stability and future of Zanzibar, adding that the meeting was "very fruitful".
The two men agreed to put aside their differences and work together to serve the people of Zanzibar.
"The two leaders agreed on the need to have peace and mutual understanding in Zanzibar, They have agreed to end existing differences between them, which have played a significant role in sowing divisions among Zanzibaris," the statement said.
Calls by the two leaders to their parties and supporters to end hostilities and work together are significant. Coming in the wake of recent developments in Zanzibar that have made it virtually impossible for CUF and CCM to agree on anything.
President Karume had in the past resisted attempts to bring him and Mr Hamad together after the CUF official refused to recognise Mr Karume as the Zanzibar President on the grounds that CUF was robbed of victory in both the 2000 and 2005 presidential elections. Mr Hamad was the CUF candidate and Mr Karume's closest rival in both races.
Mr Karume and Mr Hamad yesterday called on all parties and the people in general to work together despite their divergent ideologies
They said the country would be better placed to march towards development and poverty eradication if the people of Zanzibar cooperated in all spheres of life.
"During their discussions, the leaders reiterated the significance of sustainable dialogue between them and their political parties," the statement said.
It was not immediately clear who initiated the meeting, which was made public after the two leaders had held discussions behind closed doors.
CUF and CCM officials in Zanzibar remained tight-lipped, saying the State House statement had everything that journalists wanted to know.
President Karume hosted the CUF delegation a few days after returning from France where he attended a Unesco conference.
The meeting comes at a time when Zanzibar is in the international spotlight over violence that has marred the registration of voters in Pemba. CUF says its members are being prevented from registering by being denied Zanzibar residency identity cards (Zan-IDs).
Donor countries have condemned the violence, and expressed concern over the insecurity that has hampered the registration. The US recently incensed the Zanzibar government by issuing a travel advisory cautioning its citizens against visiting the isles.
Yesterday's talks could also pave the way for a resumption of negotiations between CUF and CCM over the Mwafaka talks, which stalled in February 2008. The talks aimed to lay the ground for the sharing of power in Zanzibar.
The talks stalled after the parties differed on the structure of a government of national unity and how to arrive at such an arrangement.
Meaningful dialogue has failed to take off despite appeals by President Jakaya Kikwete and interventions by members of the international community, who believe that a negotiated deal was the best way to end political hostilities in Zanzibar.
Source: The Citizen
Early signs of thawing relations between Zanzibar's main political adversaries emerged yesterday with a rare meeting between President Amani Abeid Karume and his longtime rival and critic, Mr Seif Shariff Hamad.
Mr Hamad stepped into the Zanzibar State House for the first time in several years after repeatedly turning down previous invitations by both President Karume and his predecessor, Dr Salmin Amour.
A brief statement from the State House said the talks between President Karume and Mr Hamad centred on the stability and future of Zanzibar, adding that the meeting was "very fruitful".
The two men agreed to put aside their differences and work together to serve the people of Zanzibar.
"The two leaders agreed on the need to have peace and mutual understanding in Zanzibar, They have agreed to end existing differences between them, which have played a significant role in sowing divisions among Zanzibaris," the statement said.
Calls by the two leaders to their parties and supporters to end hostilities and work together are significant. Coming in the wake of recent developments in Zanzibar that have made it virtually impossible for CUF and CCM to agree on anything.
President Karume had in the past resisted attempts to bring him and Mr Hamad together after the CUF official refused to recognise Mr Karume as the Zanzibar President on the grounds that CUF was robbed of victory in both the 2000 and 2005 presidential elections. Mr Hamad was the CUF candidate and Mr Karume's closest rival in both races.
Mr Karume and Mr Hamad yesterday called on all parties and the people in general to work together despite their divergent ideologies
They said the country would be better placed to march towards development and poverty eradication if the people of Zanzibar cooperated in all spheres of life.
"During their discussions, the leaders reiterated the significance of sustainable dialogue between them and their political parties," the statement said.
It was not immediately clear who initiated the meeting, which was made public after the two leaders had held discussions behind closed doors.
CUF and CCM officials in Zanzibar remained tight-lipped, saying the State House statement had everything that journalists wanted to know.
President Karume hosted the CUF delegation a few days after returning from France where he attended a Unesco conference.
The meeting comes at a time when Zanzibar is in the international spotlight over violence that has marred the registration of voters in Pemba. CUF says its members are being prevented from registering by being denied Zanzibar residency identity cards (Zan-IDs).
Donor countries have condemned the violence, and expressed concern over the insecurity that has hampered the registration. The US recently incensed the Zanzibar government by issuing a travel advisory cautioning its citizens against visiting the isles.
Yesterday's talks could also pave the way for a resumption of negotiations between CUF and CCM over the Mwafaka talks, which stalled in February 2008. The talks aimed to lay the ground for the sharing of power in Zanzibar.
The talks stalled after the parties differed on the structure of a government of national unity and how to arrive at such an arrangement.
Meaningful dialogue has failed to take off despite appeals by President Jakaya Kikwete and interventions by members of the international community, who believe that a negotiated deal was the best way to end political hostilities in Zanzibar.
Source: The Citizen
