ACT calls on CCM to practice what they preach
What you need to know:
- This comes after President Hussein Mwinyi on Friday after prayers at Kilimani mosque urged citizens to remain vigilant, claiming certain opposition statements could lead to unrest as the country approaches general elections.
Unguja. Opposition party ACT Wazalendo has criticized the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), for lacking the moral authority to preach about safeguarding peace when they show no sincere intentions to do so.
These remarks were made during a public rally at the Mshelishelini Tomondo Grounds on July 13, 2024, as part of a series of rallies across Zanzibar.
Addressing party members and supporters, Ismail Jussa Ladhu, Vice Chairman of ACT Wazalendo-Zanzibar, stated that the ruling party’s actions do not promote peace.
This comes after President Hussein Mwinyi on Friday after prayers at Kilimani mosque urged citizens to remain vigilant, claiming certain opposition statements could lead to unrest as the country approaches general elections.
However, Jussa countered these claims, asserting that those tasked with protecting peace are the ones threatening it.
Jussa recalled that after the 2020 elections, 21 people lost their lives, and over 700 were injured, with some left permanently disabled due to attempts to seize power.
Despite these incidents, he noted that the late party chairman, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, agreed to join the Government of National Unity (GNU) under three main conditions: compensation for those harmed during the elections, reforms to the electoral commission, and changes to electoral laws.
To date, Jussa lamented that only the demand for compensation has been partially fulfilled, with promises for the other two remaining unfulfilled despite repeated reminders to the leadership.
“The compensation received has been thanks to Union President Samia Suluhu Hassan; otherwise, nothing would have been achieved,” he said.
He emphasized, “Words without action amount to hypocrisy. People are preached to about preserving peace, but with these actions, how can peace truly be achieved?” Jussa also analyzed that events from the last two by-elections indicate a repeat of the underhanded methods used during the 2020 elections.
Despite these challenges, Jussa asserted their determination to remove CCM from power, stating that the decisions of the people of Zanzibar will be resolute in October 2025.
National Chairman of ACT Wazalendo, Othman Masoud Othman stressed that peace cannot be achieved without justice.
He called for significant leadership reforms to drive the country’s economic growth.
“Those in power do not want reforms because they prioritize their own interests. We in ACT say no; this country must undergo reforms, and God willing, we will achieve them,” he said.
Othman, who also serves as First Vice President, added, “If you hesitate to change the leadership of the Electoral Commission Secretariat today, why? This indicates there is no peace because the country still lacks justice. We must overturn this at the ballot box by October 2025.”
