Zanzibar’s First Vice President, Othman Masoud Othman, left the United Kingdom on Wednesday for the United States as part of his international tour aimed at helping the world understand the political situation in Zanzibar and Tanzania ahead of the East African nation’s elections later this year.
During his tour of North America, Othman—who also serves as the national chairperson of the opposition ACT Wazalendo and the party’s candidate in Zanzibar’s October presidential election—is expected to visit Canada and hold talks with fellow leaders, as well as representatives of leading Canadian think tanks.
While in the UK, Othman met with Professor Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, at Marlborough House. There, he outlined his vision for Zanzibar’s future—one built on five key pillars: unwavering democratic values; good governance and uncompromising accountability; economic progress under the ‘Singapore of Africa’ vision; enhanced autonomy for Zanzibar within a just, equitable, and respectful Union; and national unity with enduring peace.
A statement released on Wednesday indicated that Mr Othman raised concerns over a flawed voter registration process and an unconstitutional two-day voting arrangement—a controversial practice in Zanzibar linked to allegations of vote rigging and even electoral violence.
“In some situations, you can be fined for reporting cases of election fraud, and voters are turned away from registering to vote,” he was quoted as saying. “It is the right of all citizens to have access to the voter registration list. We need to remove ghost voters from the voter registry and improve transparency in the Electoral Commission.”
READ MORE: ACT Wazalendo’s Othman Masoud Othman Takes Editors’ Questions on His Bid to Run for Zanzibar’s President in 2025 Elections
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