BREAKING NEWS DONORS CRITICIZE ZANZIBAR ELECTION RE-RUN

A group of 16 Western donor countries issued a statement yesterday criticising ZEC for going ahead with the controversial  election re-run  and urging President Magufuli to show “leadership” on Zanzibar 

 “We reiterate our call on the government of Tanzania to exercise leadership in Zanzibar and to pursue a negotiated solution between parties, with a view to maintaining peace and unity," said the donors. 

 “We regret the Zanzibar Electoral Commission’s decision to hold a re-run of the 25 October 2015 election, without a mutually acceptable and negotiated solution to the current political impasse," they added. In order to be credible, electoral processes must be inclusive and truly representative of the will of the people, said the statement issued by the envoys to Tanzania from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

 “We commend once again the population of Zanzibar for having exercised calm and restraint throughout this process, and call on all parties and their supporters to re-start the national reconciliation process to find an inclusive, sustainable and peaceful resolution,” the statement added.