Mwinyi appoints trio for House of Reps

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has appointed three new officials to the House of Representatives amid ongoing talks on the formation of Zanzibar’s Government of National Unity (GNU), as ACT-Wazalendo said it was ready to join the government.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the Secretary to the Revolutionary Council and Chief Secretary, Ms Mansura Mossi Kassim, President Mwinyi appointed Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui and Mr Omar Said Shaaban as Members of the House of Representatives.

The President also appointed Mr Hassan Ali Hassan as Secretary of the House of Representatives. Before his appointment, Mr Hassan served as Director of the Legal Drafting Department in the Office of the Attorney General.

The three newly appointed officials have been directed to report to the House of Representatives on September 16, this year to take their oaths of office.

The appointments came as President Mwinyi is expected to fill several longvacant government positions with ACT-Wazalendo nominees, including First Vice-President of Zanzibar, Minister for Trade and Industrial Development, Minister for Health, Minister for Tourism and Antiquities and State Minister in the Office of the First VicePresident.

The move followed the official launch of the Joint Dialogue Committee established by CCM and ACT-Wazalendo to oversee implementation of their political reconciliation agreement signed on July 9.

Speaking during a special party visit to Tumbatu Jongowe in North “A” District, Unguja, ACT-Wazalendo Chairman, Mr Othman Masoud Othman said the party was now ready to join the GNU following the completion of key stages in the reconciliation process.

He said the party had previously not been in a position to join the government because negotiations between the two sides were still underway and no formal agreement had been reached.

“We should now be ready to witness the next step, which is for our party to join the government at any time following the launch of the Joint Dialogue Committee,” Mr Othman said.

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He said participation in the GNU would enable CCM and ACT-Wazalendo to work together in overseeing and implementing various aspects of the reconciliation agreement while advancing Zanzibar’s development agenda.

Mr Othman said the objective was to build strong foundations for a GNU based on the commitments agreed upon by the two parties, urging citizens to support implementation of the agreement in the interests of Zanzibar and its people.

He said many Zanzibaris wanted significant political and development changes, arguing that ACTWazalendo remained central to efforts to achieve those changes through democratic institutions.

The former First VicePresident of Zanzibar also stressed the importance of having competent and effective representatives in the House of Representatives, saying the legislature was responsible for scrutinising the government and defending citizens’ interests.

He said the House should serve as the “mouth, hands, ears and eyes” of the people in overseeing the government and ensuring that national resources were managed in their interests.

Mr Othman also called for credible elections and systems that would enable citizens to elect representatives capable of effectively performing their oversight responsibilities.

ACT-Wazalendo Deputy Chairman, Mr Ismail Jussa Ladhu said Tumbatu residents were among communities with a long-standing commitment to political and socio-economic transformation in Zanzibar.

He said the people of Tumbatu strongly desired a better future for Zanzibar and expressed confidence in the party’s leadership to advance their aspirations.

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