ZEC okays 142 to vie for Z`bar House seats

Mwinyi Sadallah
The Zanzibar Electoral Commission has approved 142 nominees from different political parties to vie for House of Representatives seats in all 50 constituencies in the Isles.

ZEC director Salum Kassim Ali said the candidates were okayed after filling in and returned nomination forms to the electoral body.

He said ZEC had also approved 385 nominees to contest for civic posts in the Isles.

He said in North ‘A’ Unguja district, 13 aspirants were approved from different political parties to contest for the House of Representatives post and 36 aspirants as ward councillors.

In North ‘B’ district, seven aspirants were approved to vie for House of Representative seats and 25 as ward councillors.

Ali said that in Urban district, 24 were selected to compete as House representative and 55 as ward councillors, while in West district 30 were approved to vie as Reps and 46 as ward councillors.

In Unguja South district, eight were approved to contest for House seats while 24 were okayed for ward councils. In Central district contestants for House seats are nine and 31 for ward councils.

He named other districts as Chachechake with 15 aspirants for House seats and 45 for ward councils while in Micheweni district 12 aspirants as House Representatives and 26 for ward councils were approved.

In Wete district 14 aspirants as House representatives and 50 as ward councillors were approved while in Micheweni district 12 for the House and 26 for ward councils were okayed.

Political parties who have fielded contestants are CCM, CUF, TADEA, Sauti ya Umma, Jahazi Asilia, NCCR-Mageuzi, NRA, AFP, CHADEMA, UPDP and CHAUSTA.

Election campaigns here are expected to kick off on September 10, this year, after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.