TANZANIA Voting
agreement
THE NATIONAL Electoral Commission and the political parties agreed to abide by changes in the
electoral law which call for votes to be counted in the areas where they are cast.
Both parties also assented to polling stations opening from 7a.m. to 6p.m. local time on election
day, October 29. The NEC expects to have about 40,000 polling stations.
A statement issued by the commission during the meeting said that official indelible ink had been
imported from Switzerland to stamp voters' hands.
On the issue of press coverage of the campaign, the parties said they should be given equal
treatment, complaining that this was not the case with regard to Radio Dar es Salaam , the
Daily News and the Sunday News newspapers.
FORMER President Julius Nyerere said the electorate should allow the new political
parties more time to develop before they were given leadership opportunities.
He said he had drawn this conclusion because under multi-party politics, no party was able to win
against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi in a number of by-elections. "This showed
clearly that the ruling party is still a strong party to lead this country."
THE PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the National Convention for Construction and Reform -
Maguezi, August ine Mrema, said if elected he would improve trade with neighbouring countries while
curbing illicit cross-border commerce.
PRESIDENT Ali Hassan Mwinyi called on Tanzanians to maintain unity and solidarity
irrespective of political or religious differences that may exist in the country. He was speaking at
the opening of a mosque and the laying of the foundation stone of a koranic school in the Coastal
Region.
UN 'staying put'
THE RESIDENT representative of the UN Development Programme, Mr Jose Victor Angelo, denied local
newspaper reports that the UN was planning to withdraw its staff from Zanzibar.
Unamed members of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government had been quoted as saying that the UN was
planning to evacuate its staff from the island by ship.
No reason was given by those quoted, and they themselves had expressed surprise about the purported
UN withdrawal. Mr Angelo said the "story is totally false and unfounded."
THE PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Zanzibari Civic United Front, Seif Shariff Hamad, said
if the party achieved power, its government would not be led by anyone else except Zanzibaris.
SOMALIA Banana republic
MONEY raised from the sale of bananas by the Sombana and Somalfruit companies is being used by
Gen M. Farah Aideed to buy weapons and fuel, it was claimed.
rival Somali grouping claimed.
To this end, the United Somali Congress - Somali National Alliance and the Somali Salvation
Alliance have warned ships chartered to transport the bananas not to dock at any Somali port,
particularly th e main one at Mogadishu.
UGANDA THE HUMAN Rights Initiative is to organise regional conferences for distict leaders on
the new Constitution.