Opposition supporters start celebrating lead in polls

Some supporters of Zanzibar's opposition party Civic United Front started to celebrate lead in the general elections early on Monday.

Some 200 supporters gathered at the Darajani Market in the old Stone Town and cheered themselves up with slogans like "bye-bye CCM (the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi)."

Most of the stalls in the market remained closed due to the celebration rampage on the street.

Anti-riot police had to be brought in to maintain order and they used water canons, tear gases and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.

One Civic United Front supporter, who identified himself only as Suleiman, told Xinhua in English that they were out early on to celebrate the victory of the opposition party in the elections.

"We want to take over the government in that we want freedom from the ruling party," said Suleiman.

When asked to clarify whether what he meant by freedom should be taken as to mean independence from mainland Tanzania, the young man said that what he meant was only full autonomy.

Suleiman, a local street peddler of trivial things, said that the opposition wants to use state power to enable economic changes for the better for the local people on the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Zanzibar got independent in 1963 and joined Tanganyika the next year to form the United Republic of Tanzania. But it keeps its own president, cabinet, parliament and jurisdiction system.

Zanzibar stages general election every five years along with the Tanzania mainland.

On Sunday, Zanzibar voters cast their ballots to elect a new Zanzibar president, 50 new members to the Zanzibar House of Representatives and 139 local government officials known as ward councilors.

The Zanzibar Electoral Commission has promised to announce the election results between Sunday and Wednesday (November 2).

The Tanzania mainland has postponed its general elections to December 18 this year in the wake of the death of a vice- presidential candidate from the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo last week.

Source: Xinhua