By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR
ES SALAAM Tanzania
Zanzibar chief opposition leader, Seif Sharrif Hamad has reiterated his call to the government of Tanzania to maintain human rights throughout general election slated for October 2020 for peace to prevail.
Addressing Tanzania’s main opposition party
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo
(Chadema) national delegates conference Tuesday August 4, the long-time
politician said that peace can prevail where there is justice.
Hamad who is the
national Chairman for another opposition party, Alliance for Change and Transparency –
wazalendo and presidential aspirant for Zanzibar presidency said that
twin-opposition parties are organized, civilized and cannot cause unrest in the
peaceful country.
“It is the government and its institutions that cause chaos in this country by denying citizens’ their constitutional rights, as today in Zanzibar almost 50,000 citizens have been denied right to vote simply because they support opposition party.” He said noting that every citizen have equal constitutional rights.
He called upon Non-Governmental
Organizations, Civil Societies and Faith-based Organizations to raise their
voices and push the government to provide fair grounds for all political parties
to conduct their campaigns in a conducive environment.
Hamad who is commonly
known as ‘Maalim’ further called for unified opposition in their bid to unseat
decades-long ruling party. “United we can win the election, we have vast experience
of dividing votes amongst opposition in past general elections; let’s come to
our senses and uproot this ‘thing’ called CCM.” He stressed.
On his part, the
Chadema national Chairman Freeman Mbowe reminded the Registrar of Tanzania
Political Party’s office to regard all political parties as equal. “All
political parties have equal right before laws, I call for your office to stop biasness
in regard to provision of right to both opposition parties and the ruling party.”
Mbowe said adding that being in opposition is constitutional right and not a
sin.
He told registrar’s
representative, Sisty Nyahozya, to give all political parties their lawful
right to participate effectively in the country’s politics without favour or
fear.
According to the 2020
Human Rights Report, Tanzania’s
human rights record has continued to deteriorate under current regime.
The government lifted some restrictions on the publication of independent statistics, but continued to restrict media and critics of the government, deregister civil society groups, arrest journalists, restrict civic space, and undermine the rights of women and of children.
The government has continued to restrict the
political opposition. In January 2019, Parliament passed amendments to the 2002
Political Parties Act, which granted broad powers to the Registrar of Political
Parties to demand information from political parties, to suspend individual
members of political parties, and required institutions or individuals to get
approval from the Registrar to conduct civic education, or face criminal
sanctions including imprisonment or fines. - Africa
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