{"id":11060,"date":"2015-10-28T09:01:38","date_gmt":"2015-10-28T09:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.times.mw\/?p=11060"},"modified":"2015-10-28T09:01:38","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T09:01:38","slug":"tanzania-election-government-ministers-suffer-shock-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/2015\/10\/28\/tanzania-election-government-ministers-suffer-shock-defeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Tanzania election: Government ministers suffer shock defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine Tanzanian government ministers have lost their parliamentary seats to the opposition Ukawa coalition, partial results from Sunday’s vote show.<\/p>\n

It is the biggest shock of the election so far which is the most competitive in the country’s history.<\/p>\n

The BBC’s Arnold Kayanda in the main city Dar es Salaam says it is a big blow to the governing CCM party.<\/p>\n

But it is too early to predict the end of its 54-year rule as there are many results still to be declared, he says.<\/p>\n

The electoral commission has until Thursday to announce the final results.<\/p>\n

Agriculture Minister Stephen Wasira – a veteran CCM politician of over three decades – is among the high-profile ministers who lost their seats in Sunday’s election.<\/p>\n

Others include Investment Minister Christopher Chiza, Deputy Health Minister Stephen Kebwe and Deputy Education Minister Anna Kilango Malecela.<\/p>\n

Observers from the European Union have given a positive assessment of the polls.<\/p>\n

But they raised several concerns – including the apparent failure of state media to give fair and equitable coverage to the opposition in the build-up to the election.<\/p>\n

Zanzibar electoral commission lockdown<\/h2>\n

On the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, the announcement of the election was temporarily suspended after soldiers stormed the collation centre, eventually evicting journalists and observers.<\/p>\n

The opposition Ukawa coalition on Zanzibar had already expressed concerns about the results announced so far.<\/p>\n

Residents on the islands also voted for their own president and members of the Zanzibar parliament on Sunday.<\/p>\n

At the scene: Sammy Awami, BBC Africa, Zanzibar<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Tz<\/a><\/p>\n

About 70 armed soldiers invaded the compound of the electoral commission and locked journalists, local and international observers inside the main hall.<\/p>\n

Officials also stopped announcing results.<\/p>\n

The soldiers ordered all of us to stay where we were and when I tried to ask them why, they told me not to approach them or question them.<\/p>\n

After more than three hours, they allowed us to leave the electoral commission premises and told us not to come back until further notice.<\/p>\n

Electoral officials reconvened and decided to postpone any further announcements until Wednesday.<\/p>\n

CUF, one of four parties which make up Ukawa, accused the Zanzibar electoral commission of only releasing results from constituencies where the CMM candidate won.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Ukawa candidate Seif Sharif Hamad declared himself the winner of the Zanzibari presidential poll.<\/p>\n

Correspondents say tension has been rising on the islands ahead of the final results.<\/p>\n

Previous elections have turned violent on Zanzibar, which is made up of the islands of Unguja and Pemba and is a popular with tourists.<\/p>\n

Tanzania’s tightly contested election:<\/strong><\/p>\n