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ACT Wazalendo’s Othman Masoud Othman Takes Editors’ Questions on His Bid to Run for Zanzibar’s President in 2025 Elections

Zanzibar’s First Vice President considers himself most qualified to “save Zanzibar from its current rot.”

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Dar es Salaam. ACT Wazalendo national chairperson Othman Masoud Othman announced Wednesday that he will seek the opposition party’s permission to run for president of Zanzibar in the 2025 general elections, noting that he considers himself qualified to “save Zanzibar from its current rot.”

In his New Year message, OMO, as his supporters fondly call him, said he expects to run for the highest office in the semi-autonomous archipelago to “demand Zanzibar’s right and autonomy to exploit its resources for the betterment of its people” and to upgrade Zanzibar to the status shared by similar island nations like Mauritius, Seychelles, etc.

Mr Othman, currently the First Vice President of the Zanzibar government of national unity, also said that his decision to run is driven by his desire to “return to Zanzibaris the right and power to hold to account their leaders through free and fair elections.” He also seeks to reform local governments in the isles to make them accountable to the people.

Zanzibaris and their colleagues in mainland Tanzania will go to the polls this year to vote for president, Members of Parliament and House of Representatives, and councillors. If Othman gets the permission of his party, he’s expected to face Hussein Mwinyi, the current president of Zanzibar, should he receive permission from his ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

With about thirty years of civil service, Mr Othman counts on his record of integrity as a civil servant and his unwavering support for the cause of Zanzibar’s sovereignty to boost his chances in the highly competitive and fervently contested elections.

READ MORE: Babu Duni: ACT-Wazalendo Honours One of the Most Iconic Figures in Tanzania’s History of Political Liberalisation

In 2014, then-President of Zanzibar Ali Mohamed Shein revoked Mr Othman’s appointment as the archipelago’s Attorney General after the latter publicly opposed several articles in the proposed constitution during a constituent assembly, which he was convinced undermined Zanzibar’s sovereignty and autonomy. 

He had served the position for four years before his appointment was revoked. Mr Othman also served as Deputy Attorney General, permanent secretary, and chairperson of several bodies within the government of Zanzibar.

“I’ve tested myself, though not perfect, I believe that nothing prevents me from going after what has delved into me as someone most qualified to save Zanzibar [from its present challenges],” Mr Othman told a press conference in Zanzibar. “I’ll, therefore, seek my party’s permission to accomplish that journey.”  

During the press conference announcing his intention to run for president of Zanzibar, journalists and editors asked Mr Othman several questions, some of which we publish here alongside his responses, as they help contextualise the issue and allow readers to understand it better.

Rashid Ally Mohamed, Wasafi Media: Do you think that within the remaining period before elections, the law can be changed to abolish the two-day voting arrangement you’ve been highly criticising, associating it with vote rigging?

READ MORE: ACT-Wazalendo’s New Leadership Singles Out Election As Top Priority

OMO: Zanzibaris have rejected the two-day voting arrangement since 2020, which is also the source of the ensuing violence. The arrangement is not even constitutional, as the document recognises the “date” of elections, not “dates.” Therefore, the law that introduced the arrangement is unconstitutional. 

So, the issue here is not whether law changes can happen. The issue is whether the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) is ready to abide by the constitution or an unconstitutional law. We hope ZEC leadership will see this absurdity and take necessary measures.

Salim Said, independent: Both at a personal and party level, what measures did you take to ensure that the next elections are not characterised by violence, which often leaves dozens dead and others with permanent disabilities? 

OMO: We took some measures. We wrote to Zanzibar’s commissioner of police to remind him of legal provisions requiring that whenever people die in the hands of law enforcement organs, police cannot investigate such cases. They’re required to report to the Chief Justice, who will appoint a judge to oversee the investigation.

We continue reminding law enforcement authorities of these requirements, and I’ve personally spoken to the Chief Justice, reminding him that it is his responsibility to ensure he looks into these matters and takes appropriate measures.

READ MORE: High Cost of Living on Top of ACT-Wazalendo’s Agenda As It Inaugurates Its Political Rallies

Absalom Kibanda, independent: You’ve described 2025 as “the year of victory.” During all preceding elections, opposition parties did not succeed in forming the government. How is 2025 going to be any different? What’s new about this year?

OMO: First of all, elections are not solely issues of political parties. It is a process that belongs to citizens. It is them who have lost in all previous elections. The people of 1995 are not those of 2024; we have seen in other parts where people have been forced to choose between peace and violence.

We hope that our authorities take notice of such trends and may even anticipate that things will be different this year. This is because the people will not sit idle when their will is disrespected. They’re disappointed because they see they’ve nothing to lose.

Life conditions are incredibly precarious. There are so many things that don’t go right. We see businesses closing daily here in Zanzibar. We cannot continue like this forever, and I’m happy we have people within CCM who share this belief. 

Jabir Idrissa, Mwanahalisi: Do you have any plans to confront the nexus between security forces, election management bodies, and CCM, which has always been blamed for election rigging and the violence that characterises most elections? 

READ MORE: ZEC Boss Appointment Leads ACT-Wazalendo to Question Mwinyi’s Reconciliation Rhetorics

OMO: I acknowledge the presence of what you’ve just stated, and we see it as our most important responsibility to deal with it. The only plan is to defeat CCM at the ballot box and form a new government. As long as CCM remains in power, this practice will persist as it is the only way the party can stay in power.

Mohammed Khamis, independent: Election is about numbers; how have you prepared to win amidst reports of mass disenfranchisement of many Zanzibaris who might happen to be your prospective voters?

OMO: We understand the challenge and are addressing it to ensure that as many people as possible are registered to vote. However, I must tell you that many of those currently registered in the name of CCM are ACT Wazalendo members.

Still, we continue to mobilise people to register to vote, using whatever ingenious means necessary. We will also actively monitor injustices that occur during the exercise and address them on behalf of our members. 

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