The Civic United Front, Tanzania's major opposition party, has given the Zanzibar Electoral Commission an ultimatum of two weeks to verify the voters register for the Indian Ocean archipelago.

"If they (the Zanzibar Electoral Commission) do not verify the register within two weeks, we will change our campaign strategy and take recourse to people's power," said Seif Sharrif Hamad, secretary-general of the Civic United Front who is running for the Zanzibar presidency for the third time.

Local English newspaper The Citizen paraphrased Hamad's words as effectively meaning to encourage Civic United Front supporters to rise against the slated October 30 general elections.

Hamad made the remark during his Monday campaign rally in Zanzibar, the stronghold for the Civic United Front.

But he added: "We are not saying that we are going to use physical confrontation, no. We will just come together and demand our rights with greater vigor."

In the past two elections held in 1995 and 2000, Civic United Front supporters rose against the election results that both voted the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party into the presidential office in Zanzibar.

Zanzibar is a part of the United Republic of Tanzania but has its own president, cabinet and parliament.

Source: Xinhua