The Zanzibar Electoral Commission on Wednesday scrapped an objection against one of the local political parties, thus bringing to six the total number of parties vying for Zanzibar presidency.

The Zanzibar electoral body ruled out the objection raised by the National Reconstruction Alliance against the Democratic Party after the former had failed to produce supporting documents.

So from Wednesday onwards, six parties will be vying for the Zanzibar presidency and these parties and their presidential candidates are ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi's Amani Abeid Karume, Civic United Front's Seif Sharrif Hamad, Sauti ya Umma's Mariam Ahmed, Democratic Party's Abdallah Ali Abdallah, Jahazi Asilia's Haji Omar Kitole, and National Reconstruction Alliance's Simai Abdulrahman Abdalla.

Amani Abeid Karume is the incumbent president of Zanzibar, a part of the United Republic of Tanzania though with its own president, cabinet and parliament.

It is Seif Sharrif Hamad's third try at the presidential office in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

The election day is slated for October 30 this year, with the presidential campaigning already started this Monday.

When voters in Zanzibar cast their ballots on October 30, they are not only to elect Zanzibar president, Zanzibar parliamentarians and Zanzibar local government posts, they will elect president and lawmakers for the united republic as well.

Source: Xinhua