Zanzibar's President-elect to be sworn in

The newly re-elected Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein will be sworn in on Thursday, extending his rule for another five years, authorities said on Wednesday.

A statement from Zanzibar State House said Shein will be sworn in by Zanzibar's Chief Justice Othman Makungu at 10 a.m. at a ceremony at the Amani Stadium to be attended by Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli and other dignitaries.

Tanzania was formed in 1964 following the merger between Tanganyika and Zanzibar which is semi-autonomous.

On Monday ZEC declared incumbent Zanzibar President Shein winner of the controversial re-run presidential polls after he had garnered 299,982 which was 91.4 per cent.

Low turnout characterized Zanzibar's re-run elections which were boycotted by main opposition party as peace was reported in most parts of the east African archipelago.

Charles Kitwanga, Tanzania's Minister for Home Affairs, said security has improved in Zanzibar, adding that the number of security officials deployed on the Islands will be cut down.

"There were a lot of threats that's why we deployed our officers in big numbers, but the polls were conducted in a calm environment. We can't afford to drop guard now, but police patrols will be reduced as days go on and eventually with time things will get back to normal," said the minister.

The re-run polls were held after results of the October 25 elections were annulled, three days after the polls, by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairman Jecha Salim Jecha on what he described as massive irregularities.

Over 500,000 voters cast their ballot in the last October 25 elections which were later nullified by ZEC.

The main opposition party-the Civic United Front (CUF)- boycotted the polls, insisting that it had won in the October elections, and called on its supporters not to vote, something that could have been connected with the poor turnout. Endit