Off the wire
• Commentary: Manila's shortsightedness in seeking arbitration over South China Sea disputes  • Unauthorized basement construction refilled in Beijing  • S. Korean civic groups stage rally against Abe's visit  • Taipei subway murderer sentenced to death in second trial  • DPRK's ruling party to hold seventh Congress  • 1st Ld-Writethru: ConocoPhillips ordered to pay 1.7 mln yuan over damages in oil spill  • U.S. nuke-powered aircraft carrier visits S.Korean port  • China-Cuba trade rises 57 pct in first three quarters  • URGENT: China says Arbitral Tribunal's ruling on South China Sea "null and void"  • Chinese communications start-ups eye Australian Stock Exchange  
You are here: 　 Home

UN chief congratulates Tanzania on peaceful elections

Xinhua, October 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday congratulated Tanzania on its peaceful elections, while voicing concerns over the situation in the country's semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar.

Tanzanian ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party candidate John Pombe Magufuli won the presidential election with about 58 percent of the vote, the electoral commission said Thursday.

"The secretary-general congratulates the people, government and political parties of Tanzania for the peaceful and orderly manner in which the country held its elections on Oct. 25, 2015," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

"The responsible conduct of the citizens of Tanzania as they cast their ballots and awaited the results was a concrete manifestation of their commitment to democracy, peace and stability," it said.

More than 22 million people went to the polls on Sunday to choose a new president and members of parliament in East Africa's second-largest economy. There were fears of rioting by the opposition supporters but police said everything was under control.

Ban also said that he remains concerned about the situation in Zanzibar and underscores that any disputes related to the electoral process should be addressed through the existing legal framework in a peaceful and transparent manner.

In Zanzibar, elections for the archipelago's parliament and president were annulled on Wednesday. Jecha Salum Jecha, the chairman of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission, said the elections were nullified because of a breach of electoral laws and regulations.

In this regard, the UN chief calls on all stakeholders to remain calm, reject the use of violence, and avoid making statements that could further increase tensions. Endi