PH
Early voting is set to begin in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar – which has a history of contested elections.
Voting in the mainland will be held on Wednesday.
Today’s early voting in Zanzibar is for officials responsible for overseeing the general election, including returning officers and the police.
This is the first time Zanzibar is having early voting following an amendment in election laws.
The amendment was however met with sharp criticism from opposition parties who alleged it was meant to provide a loophole for rigging. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission denied the claims.
The island’s 2015 election was cancelled by the head of the electoral commission for not being free and fair. The opposition boycotted the re-run and the ruling Chama Cha Mapenduzi (CCM) party’s candidate was declared the winner.
There are a total of 17 presidential candidates in Zanzibar’s election.
The main contestants are thought to be opposition candidate, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad – who is running for the sixth time – and the ruling party’s Hussein Mwinyi, a son of a former president.
The incumbent, Ali Mohammed Shein, has finished his two five-year terms in the office.
