Zanzibar’s President Mwinyi nominates two opposition officials as lawmakers

Dar es Salaam. Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi on Monday nominated two ACT-Wazalendo officials as members of the House of Representatives.

The nomination of the opposition party’s deputy secretary-general (Zanzibar), Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, and lawyer Omar Said Shaaban almost certainly means that the two will be appointed as ministers in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“In exercising the powers vested in him under Article 66 of the Constitution of Zanzibar of 1984, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi has nominated Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui and Omar Said Shaaban to become members of the House of Representatives,” Zanzibar’s Chief Secretary and Secretary of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Abdulhamid Mzee, said in a statement on Monday.

Two weeks ago, Dr Mwinyi named 13 ministers out of the 15 slots, saying the remaining two would be filled by members from ACT-Wazalendo in line with the GNU requirements as outlined in the Constitution.

The position of First Vice President was also left vacant for the same opposition party which came second after garnering 19 percent of the presidential vote during the October 27 and 28 polls.

Dr Mwinyi was categorical that he would abide by the Constitutional requirement that compels the winner in a presidential election to nominate First Vice President from the party that garnered at least ten percent of the votes.

After weeks of discussions, ACT-Wazalendo finally agreed on Sunday, December 6, 2020 that they would be part of Zanzibar’s GNU, ending days of uncertainty and dilly-dallying on the opposition party’s part.

The decision was followed by an announcement that Dr Mwinyi had nominated the ACT-Wazalendo national chairman and the party’s presidential candidate for Zanzibar in the October General Election, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad, as Zanzibar’s First Vice President.

Mr Hamad will be sworn-in tomorrow.