Observatory meeting and LEAD Curriculum Development workshop - Gaborone Botswana

 Mwenyekiti wa ZRPPP Mohammed Yussuf ( Mshamba) akiwa pamoja na Dk Mohammed Hafidh Khalfan walipohudhuria mkutano wa  tathmini  kwa wasimamizi wa uchaguzi jijini Gaborone nchini Botswana. Mkutano ulifanyika kwa siku nne kuanzia tarehe 14/12 hadi 18/12

 Washiriki wa mkutano wa tathmini kwa wasimamizi wa uchaguzi wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja baada ya mkutano

 Mshiriki kutoka Zanzibar, Dk Mohammed Hafidh Khalfan akitoa mada kuhusu nafasi ya masheikh na viongozi wa dini katika kuhubiri amani kabla, wakati na baada ya uchaguzi. Pia Mohmmed Yussuf alizungumzia historia ya uchaguzi pamoja na changamoto zake tokea ukoloni, wakati wa uhuru na mapinduzi na madhara yake. Pia  mwandishi wa habari mwandamizi, Mzuri Issa, aligusia mchango wa akinamama wakati wa uchaguzi pamoja na mchango mkubwa wa vyombo vya habari,.

An Observatory Meeting and LEAD Curriculum Development Workshop sponsored by European Centre for Electoral Support was conducted in Gaborone, Botswana from 14 through 18 December 2015 with the objective of identifying drivers or triggers of violence associated with electoral process in the SADC region and recommending ways and means of containing the possible occurrence of electoral related violence.

Among the Participants who attended and contributed significantly to the work of the workshop, included representatives from the SADC countries, such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and, of course, Zanzibar.

Representatives of each partner state were required to make presentations on the situation of their countries. Since there were three participants from Zanzibar, we decided to divide our presentation into three different but complementary parts.

I began by giving a brief historical background of the electoral conflict in Zanzibar during the colonial period, the 1963 independence, the revolution and its aftermath.

On his part, Dr Mohammed Hafidh talked about the role of religious leaders/clerics in advocating peace and stability during and after the elections; whereas Mzuri Issa gave an elucidative presentation on the role of women and the media in the electoral process.

Among other important issues that were deliberated extensively during the workshop, the ongoing political crisis in Zanzibar triggered by the infamous nullification of the elections, figured prominently in the discussion that had ensued.

Indeed, it was the views of most participants that ZEC Chairman's unilateral and illegal decision to nullify the elections, which all domestic and international observers believed to have been conducted in an atmosphere of increasing freedom, peace and fairness, was unfortunate and uncalled for.

If anything, such decision on the part of ZEC Chairman was seen by most participants as nothing more than a deliberate attempt to disrespect the will of Zanzibari people in exercising their fundamental right to elect the leaders of their choice.

In the common quest to find a speedy and peaceful resolution to the conflict, most participants expressed their support for the ongoing dialogue between the Zanzibari leaders with the hope that the talks will subsequently culminate in achieving a speedy and peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Courtesy - Mohammed Yussuf