SMZ tegua bomu hili Pemba

Na Muhibu Said

Imekuwa ni kawaida sasa, kila unapofanyika mchakato wa uchaguzi wananchi wa visiwa vya Pemba, vinavyojumuisha Pemba yenyewe, Kojani na Panza kuishi kwa hofu.

Januari 26 na 27, 2001 bado iko vichwani mwa wananchi hawa kutokana na mauaji ya zaidi ya watu 30, huku wengine wakipata vilema vya maisha wakati wakipinga matokeo ya uchaguzi wa mwaka 2000.

Matukio hayo ya kusikitisha, yalitokea miezi michache baada ya hali tete visiwani humo iliyotokana na matokeo ya chaguzi mbalimbali zinazotulizwa kwa miafaka butu.

Muafaka wa kwanza ulisainiwa mwaka 1999 na vyama vya CCM na CUF chini ya uenyekiti wa aliyekuwa Katibu Mkuu wa Jumuiya ya Madola, Emeka Anyauko, aliyewakilishwa na mjumbe wa jumuiya hiyo, Dk. Moses Anaf.

Hivi sasa, tunapoelekea Uchaguzi Mkuu wa mwakani, tayari hofu inayoashiria kurejea vurugu na kuvunjika amani, imeanza kujitokeza visiwani humo.

Hofu hiyo inajengwa kwa ushirikiano wa mamlaka za Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar (SMZ), ikiwemo Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Zanzibar (ZEC), Masheha ambao ni watendaji wa SMZ wa ngazi ya chini na Idara ya Vitambulisho Zanzibar.

Zinajenga hofu hiyo kupitia zoezi la uboreshaji wa Daftari la Kudumu la Wapigakura linaloendelea hivi sasa kisiwani Pemba.

Masheha wanashiriki kujenga hofu hiyo wakiwa mawakala wa ZEC kwenye vituo vya uandikishaji.

Nilikuwa miongoni mwa wanahabari walioshuhudia zoezi hilo majimbo ya Konde na Mgogoni, yaliyoko Wilaya ya Micheweni, Mkoa wa Kaskazini Pemba, Julai 12 hadi 15, mwaka huu.

Matukio ya uporaji haki za raia za Kikatiba, yamejitokeza kwenye zoezi hilo, ambayo sasa yanaonekana kukithiri.

Kulingana na utaratibu uliowekwa na ZEC, zoezi hilo ambalo limegubikwa na dosari nyingi za msingi, ikiwemo uduni wa elimu kwa wapiga kura, kufanywa kila jimbo.

Hata hivyo, mamia ya wananchi hasa vijana ambao wengi wao ambao mwaka huu wametimiza miaka 18, wamekuwa wakikataliwa kuandikishwa kwa kukosa kitambulisho cha Mzanzibari Mkaazi (Zan ID).

Pia, wale wenye Zan ID wamekuwa wakikataliwa kuandikishwa kwa sababu hawana kadi za kupiga kura za mwaka 2005, wakati wenye kadi hizo wamekuwa wakikataliwa kuandikishwa kwa kuwa hawana Zan ID.

Mwongozo unaotolewa na Katiba ya Zanzibar ya Mwaka 1984 kuhusu Mzanzibari anayestahili kuwa mpiga kura, unapingana na Sheria ya Uchaguzi Zanzibar.

Linalosikitisha zaidi, masheha ambao walitegemewa kutoa msaada, pia wako kazini kukwamisha wananchi kuandikishwa. Wanakataa kuwapa barua wasiokuwa na Zan ID ili kuthibitisha kwenye Idara ya Vitambulisho ya Zanzibar kuwatambua wapatiwe kitambulisho hicho, wakidai wameelekezwa na wakuu wao.

Katika mlolongo huo, Idara ya Vitambulisho Zanzibar, nayo kwa upande wake imejipanga sawa kuhakikisha inawakomoa wananchi.

Yenyewe sasa inawataka wananchi kupeleka cheti cha kuzaliwa, badala ya barua ya sheha peke yake ili kupatiwa Zan ID kama ilivyokuwa ikifanyika huko nyuma.

Mkuu wa Idara ya Vitambulisho Wilaya ya Micheweni, Hamad Shamata, anasema wamepewa maelekezo na mkurugenzi.

Kwa uchache, hili ndilo ‘bomu’ ninalolihofiwa kwamba linatengenezwa na SMZ ili ‘kuvilipua’ visiwa vya Pemba.

Nionavyo, viongozi wa kitaifa wakiongozwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete, wanawajibika kutatua suala hii mapema.

Vinginevyo, kuna hatari ya kutokea matatizo mengine Uchaguzi Mkuu wa mwakani, ambayo pengine inawezekana yakawa makubwa zaidi.

Mungu aepushe mbali kabisa.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

Standoff in Zanzibar worrisome – Maajar

By Guardian Reporter
22nd July 2009

Tanzania’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mwanaidi Maajar, has cautioned over the belief by some investors that efforts to resolve the post-election political standoff in Zanzibar were slowing down and might not bear fruit.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian in London recently, the envoy said the investors’ risk analysis was not an issue as such but she was worried over their general perception of developments in the Isles.

“The opinion makers are not worried about Zanzibar, but they are worried about the reform process. They believe our reform process is slowing down,” said the envoy.

“In my opinion, it is not slowing down, but we fail to let people know what we are doing,” she added

Maajar said she had read the investors’ risk analysis and discovered that “it doesn’t appear to be an issue”, elaborating: “The investors analyse short term and long term security concerns. When the elections draw close, there is usually some apprehension that the polls could breed violence.”

Countries scoring highly in the international arena economically are doing exactly what Tanzania has been doing since the 1990s, she noted.

“They are introducing commercial courts, which we have already introduced. All the same we are still scoring lowly in judicial reforms. We need to work on that more enthusiastically than on anything else,” said the envoy.

She was reacting to fears that last year’s collapse of the ‘muafaka’ (reconciliation) talks between the ruling CCM and the opposition Civic United Front might touch off unrest in the coming (late 2010) general election in Zanzibar and eventually drive away investors.

“Peace talks are good if they are home-grown. They become successful in the end. I don’t think there will be violence in Zanzibar. I also don’t think we should expect an agreement so soon, if we couldn’t reach one all this time,” Maajar pointed out.

The envoy also commented on the pace of Tanzania’s anti-poverty crusade, saying the country was “on course towards redefining itself” after undergoing a myriad of economic changes from socialism and self-reliance to free the market economy.

“If you look back, we had ujamaa (socialism) and self-reliance that aimed at helping bring home-grown development. We wanted to create a society that would help people to access free basic services such as education and health from the government,” she said.

“The economy was small and couldn’t support all those services, and so we ran bankrupt. If the economy isn’t producing enough revenue, the country is unlikely to succeed,” she added

However, she said the above facts clearly “show clearly that the issue isn’t only aid but the choices that we make as a country.”

She quickly added that President Jakaya Kikwete’s predecessors, meaning Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Alhaj Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Benjamin Mkapa, “were quite genuine and this was the rational choice at that time”.

Maajar also explained that the impact of the fall in remittances due to global economic crisis was yet to be felt very much in Tanzania because not many Tanzanians tapped resources abroad for investing or sending money back home.

“Historically, Tanzanians never liked to go abroad. They only started going out relatively recently. So we don’t have a big population overseas,” she said. She gave the example of London, where most of the people forming the large group of Tanzanians in London are students who traditionally leave after completing their studies.

The envoy elaborated that there were a lot of informal remittances by Tanzanians living in the UK, saying: “On the part of Zanzibar, we had people who were ready to talk to us about informal remittances. There were 14 million pounds coming from the UK to Zanzibar in 2007 through Western Union.”

On the war on grand corruption, Maajar said people in other countries didn’t necessarily judge Tanzania by considering the number of reports on corruption and other scandals appearing in the media but by the way the country was fighting the vice.

“International opinion makers always focus on what governments are doing about the vice. For example, people are keen to know what the UK government will do to ensure that expenditure-related scandals involving Members of Parliament do not recur because that is what matters the most,” she explained.

Whatever the government in Tanzania is seen doing to address the problem of corruption is perceived and treated similarly, she noted, adding: “And I think it has done quite a lot.”

During the now-stalled ‘muafaka’ talks following the results of the 2005 Isles’ presidential election disputed by CUF, both CCM and the opposition party had agreed in principle to form a unity government after the 2010 general election.

However, the ruling party early last year called for improvements on the modalities earlier agreed by the bipartisan negotiating team. The team had made recommendations with regard to the structure of the Zanzibar government, including the cabinet, and the possibility of setting up a reconciliation council.

CCM later passed a resolution calling for a referendum in the Isles, saying that would afford Zanzibaris the opportunity to decide on the matter. CUF has rejected the plan wholesale.

The earlier CCM/CUF peace accord, which was signed in October 2001, had called for political reforms that would enable the striking of a power balance between the two major parties in Zanzibar politics.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Uchaguzi 2010 Z’bar matatani

Monday, 20 July 2009 17:18

*CUF yaibua hoja makubaliano ya mwafaka
*Yatabiri machafuko makubwa kama utapuuzwa
*Yasema CCM inajidanganya kuuchelewesha
*Yadai 90% ya vijana wake hawajaandikishwa

Na Edmund Mihale

CHAMA cha Wananchi (CUF) kimesema kuna uwezekano mkubwa kutokea machafuko visiwani Zanzibar kama makubaliano yaliyomo katika muafaka hayatatekelezwa ipasavyo.

Muafaka huo ni kati ya CUF na Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). Moja ya sharti lililomo ndani ya muafaka huo ni kuwepo Daftari la Kudumu la Wapigakura.

Akizungumza na Majira kwa njia ya simu jana, Mwenyekiti wa CUF, Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba alisema ujanja unaofanywa na CCM kutowaandikisha vijana wa chama chake katika Daftari la Kudumu kisiwani humo umepitwa na wakati kwani mwisho wake ni kusababisha machafuko.

Alisema, hadi sasa, asilimia 90 ya vijana wa chama chake hawajaandikishwa kutokana na ubaguzi unaofanywa na masheha kwa madai kuwa fomu za kujiandisha zimekwisha.

Alisema kuwa kitendo cha kutoandikishwa vijana hao si cha kiungwana na kinaua demokrasia na kuhatarisha amani na utulivu visiwani humo.

Akizungumzia kauli ya Serikali iliyotolewa bungeni na Waziri wa Nchi Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu, Bw Philipo Marmo kuwa vikao vya haraka vya mazungumuzo ya utekelezaji wa mwafaka vifanyike kabla ya kufanyika Uchaguzi Mkuu mwaka 2010, Prof. Lipumba alisema, kauli hiyo imepitwa na wakati kwani chama chake kimeandika barua zaidi ya nne kuitaka Serikali kuvikutanisha vyama hivyo ili kuanza mazungumuzo ya kutekeleza maazimio ya muafaka huo.

“Tumekuwa na makubaliano ya kubadilishana taarifa na Serikali lakini nimeandika barua zaidi ya nne kwa Rais Jakaya Kikwete kuhusu mwafaka huu lakini hakuna majibu hadi sasa.

“Pamoja na mimi kuandika barua hizo nne pia Katibu wangu Malim Seif Sharif Hamad naye ameandika barua mbili kuhusu utekelezaji wa mwafaka lakini hadi sasa hakuna majibu kutoka kwa Rais,” alisema Prof. Lipumba.

Alisema CCM na Serikali yake imekuwa ikitumia ujanja huo kusukuma muda mbele na kusubiri uchaguzi mkuu kwa kudhani kuwa inajipanga vizuri kukishinda chama chake jambo alilosema ni kujidanganya

Alisema katika Uchaguzi Mdogo wa Jimbo la Mgogoni, CCM ilishinda uchaguzi huo kwa kutumia mbinu hiyo ya kutowaandikisha vijana wa chama hicho zaidi ya 2,000. Alisema kuwa hali hiyo haiwezi kukubalika katika Uchaguzi Mkuu ujao.

Chanzo: http://majira.co.tz

“SMZ/SMT watumia kisingizio cha Kitambulisho cha Mzanzibari kuiingiza nchi katika machafuko”

MKUTANO KATIBU MKUU NA WAANDISHI WA HABARI, VUGA 20 Julai, 2009

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Zoezi la Uboreshaji Daftari la Kudumu la Wapiga Kura lililoanza tarehe 6 Julai 2009 katika wilaya ya Micheweni linaendelea katika hali ya mashaka na inayotia khofu kwa kuwa Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Zanzibar (ZEC) imeamua kulifanya zoezi hili la ‘kutokuandikisha’ wapiga kura badala ya kuwa la kuandikisha.

Zoezi lilianza katika jimbo la Konde baina ya 6 hadi 12 Julai. Watu waliokataliwa kuandikishwa na kuripoti kwenye vituo vyetu ni 1,559. Kwenye jimbo la Mgogoni, ambapo ulianzia tarehe 7 na kumalizika tarehe 19 Julai, watu waliokuwa wamekataliwa kuandikishwa na kuripoti kwetu ni 892. Shehia mbili za Mapofu na Njuguni, ambazo ndizo zenye wakaazi wengi kwenye jimbo la Mgogoni zinaanza kuandikishwa leo hii kwenye zamu ya jimbo la Micheweni na, kwa hivyo, makisio ni kwamba watu wengine zaidi watakatwa katika jimbo la Mgogoni na hivyo kufikia zaidi ya watu 1,500 kwa ujumla.

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Itakumbukwa kwamba katika uchaguzi mdogo wa jimbo la Magogoni mwezi Mei, mwaka huu, walionyimwa haki ya kujiandikisha na ZEC ni 1,684. Kwa hivyo, kwa muendelezo huu, ni rahisi kubaini kwamba ZEC ina
mpango wa kukata wastani wa wapiga kura 1,500 kwa kila jimbo kati ya majimbo 50 ya Zanzibar na hivyo, hatimaye, wastani Wazanzibari 75,000 watakuwa hawawezi kupiga kura ifikapo 2010. Makisio haya yanaweza kupanda hadi kufikia Wazanzibari 100,000 wenye sifa kuzuiwa kupiga kura katika uchaguzi mkuu wa mwakani.

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Sababu kubwa inayotumiwa na ZEC katika kuwanyima Wazanzibari hawa haki yao ya kupiga kura ni kutokuwa na kipande cha Mzanzibari Mkaazi, ambacho sasa kimefanywa kuwa ni sharti la muhimu, la lazima na la pekee kwa mtu kuandikishwa. Hata katika hali ambapo hati nyingine zingeliweza kutumika

kuthibitisha kile ambacho kipande cha Mzanzibari Mkaazi kinathibitisha, kwa mfano cheti cha kuzaliwa, shahada ya uchaguzi uliopita au stakabadhi ya Idara ya Vitambulisho, bado ZEC imebakia na msimamo wake kwamba lazima mtu awe na kitambulisho cha Mzanzibari Mkaazi.

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Hoja inayotolewa na ZEC ni kwamba hayo ndiyo matakwa ya sheria ya Uchaguzi ya 1984 kwenye Kifungu 12 (b). Lakini inaeleweka kwamba kifungu hiki cha sheria kimekwenda kinyume na kifungu cha 11 cha katiba ya Zanzibar na hilo limethibitishwa na hata Mkurugenzi wa ZEC alipoongea na waandishi wa habari huko Pemba. Vile vile, sheria Namba 7 ya 2005 inayohusu Vitambulisho inaweka wazi kwamba ni lazima kwa kila Mzanzibari kuwa na kitambulisho hicho na kwamba, kwanza, kutokuwa nacho ni kosa na, pili, kumzuwia Mzanzibari asikipate ni kosa vile vile. Hivi sasa kuna malalamiko na mifano kadhaa ambapo Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar (SMZ), kwa kutumia masheha wake, inawazuia Wazanzibari wasipate kitambulisho hicho na wakati huo huo inawapatia wasiokuwa Wazanzibari. Kuna mifano pia ambapo Wazanzibari wanaoonekana na SMZ kuwa wafuasi wa CCM wanapatiwa vitambulisho, lakini wale wanaoonekana kuwa CUF wananyimwa hata kama wanakaa nyumba moja na ni ndugu wa kuzaliwa.

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Nini matokeo ya hali hii yote? Bila ya shaka ni kuiingiza nchi katika machafuko makubwa yanayoweza kuitikisa Tanzania nzima, kwani suala linalohusika hapa ni haki binafsi za kila raia. Kitambulisho hiki hakina maana katika uchaguzi tu. Inavyoonekana kitakuja kuwa na maana katika maisha mazima ya kila Mzanzibari, maana hivi sasa kama mtu hana kitambulisho hicho ananyimwa leseni za biashara, gari na hata paspoti. Kuna mifano ya wanafunzi wanaotaka kufanya mitihani ya kidato cha nne na sita ambao tayari wanatakiwa kuwasilisha vitambulisho hivyo ili waweze kufanya mitihani hiyo. Kwa hivyo, suala la kitambulisho ni suala la kila Mzanzibari binafsi na kumnyima mtu kitambulisho hicho ni kukaribisha kwa makusudi machafuko katika nchi.

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Kwa hivyo, tumewaiteni hapa kuwajulisheni kwamba nchi hii hivi sasa inapelekwa katika shimo la maangamizi na SMZ ikitumia mtandao wake usio mtakatifu unaowashirikisha masheha, ZEC na Idara ya Vitambulisho. Tumewaiteni kuwashuhudisha kwamba sisi, kama chama cha siasa kinachoamini katika sheria, demokrasia na haki za binaadamu, tumetekeleza jukumu letu la kuzionya serikali zote mbili, ya Zanzibar na ya Muungano, juu ya maafa ambayo taasisi zake zinayatayarisha kwa kisingizio cha Vitambulisho. Wakati wa uchaguzi mdogo wa Magogoni, mwenyekiti wetu, Profesa Ibrahim Lipumba, alimuandikia Rais w Jamhuri ya Muungano, Mhe. Jakaya Kikwete, kumtanabahisha kwamba hali ya Zanzibar inatoka kubaya ikielekea kubaya zaidi. Majuzi wabunge na wawakilishi wetu waliziambia serikali zote mbili kupitia Bunge na Baraza la Wawakilishi kwamba taasisi zao walizozipa jukumu la kulinda haki za watu ndizo zinazohusika na kuzivunja haki hizo na kwamba hilo litaiingiza nchi katika giza zito. Majibu ya serikali zote mbili, kama kawaida, yalikuwa yale yale ya kibabe na kijeuri.

Wapendwa Wamahabari,
Taarifa za karibuni kabisa ambazo Chama chetu kimezikusanya kutoka Wilaya ya Kaskazini A tu, yenye majimbo matano ya uchaguzi, zinaonesha kwamba kati ya watu 12,363 walioripoti kwenye Idara ya Vitambulisho kudai vitambulisho vyao, watu 2,584 ambayo ni sawa 21% wamenyimwa vitambulisho hivyo.

Wapendwa Wanahabari,
Hatujawaiteni kuja kuwalilia wala kuwaomba huruma zenu kwa chama chetu. CUF ni chama cha siasa tu, lakini nchi ni zaidi ya chama cha siasa. Tumewaiteni kuja kuwaonyesheni hali ilivyo leo na inavyoelekea kuwa kesho ili nanyi, kwa kutumia vyombo vyenu na taaluma zenu, mutoe mchango wenu wa kunusuru jambo baya lisitokee kwa nchi hii tunayoipenda sote. Huu ndio ujumbe wangu binafsi kwenu. Kwamba tushirikiane kuinusuru nchi hii ambayo Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) na serikali zake zote mbili wamekusudia kuiangamiza kwa kisingizio cha kitambulisho cha Mzanzibari Mkaazi.

Ahsanteni kwa kunisikiliza!

Pamoja na salamu za Chama.

Seif Sharif Hamad
Katibu Mkuu

ZEC: Uchaguzi utakuwa huru licha ya kasoro katika uandikishaji wapiga kura

Na Muhibu Said
17th July 2009

Wakati maelfu ya wananchi kisiwani hapa wakilalamika kutoandikishwa katika Daftari la Kudumu la Wapiga kura, Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Zanzibar, (ZEC) imesema kasoro hiyo haimaanishi kwamba uchaguzi visiwani hapa hautakuwa huru na wa haki.

Akizungumza na Nipashe jana, Mkurugenzi wa ZEC, Salim Kassim Ali, alisema si sahihi kwa sasa kusema uchaguzi Zanzibar hauwezi kuwa huru na wa haki kwa vile bado haujafanyika.

“Kwa hiyo, usiseme uchaguzi hautakuwa huru na wa haki, wewe kama ni mwandishi wa habari andika unachokiona,” alisema Salim.

Alisema uandikishaji wananchi katika daftari hilo una utaratibu wake na kusisitiza kuwa kama mtu hatafuata utaratibu huo hawezi kuandikishwa. Hadi kufikia jana, wananchi zaidi ya 4,000 walikuwa wakilalamika kutoandikishwa katika zoezi hilo ambalo limehamia katika Jimbo la Mgogoni, wilayani humo.

Kati ya wananchi hao, baadhi wamekataliwa kuandikishwa kwa sababu ya kutokuwa na kitambulisho cha Mzanzibari (Zan ID).

Wengine waliokataliwa kuandikishwa ni wale wenye Zan ID, lakini hawana kadi ya kupiga kura ya mwaka 2005 na wengine wana kadi hiyo, lakini hawana Zan ID.

Akizungumzia uchaguzi utakuwaje na sifa ya kuwa huru na wa haki wakati maelfu ya wananchi wanalalamika kutokuandikishwa, Salim alisema, “usirukie mambo kabla ya uchaguzi haujafanywa. Nani kakuambia kuwa uchaguzi hautakuwa huru na wa haki?”

Masheha, ambao ni watendaji wa ngazi ya chini katika Serikali ya Mapinduzi Zanzibar (SMZ) na mawakala wa uandikishaji wa ZEC, wamekuwa wakilalamikiwa kuchangia kukwama kwa wananchi hao kuandikishwa huku pia ikidaiwa kwamba wamepewa maelekezo maalum.

CHANZO: NIPASHE