Zanzibar names new First Vice President

Zanzibari President Hussein Ali Mwinyi has appointed Othman Masoud Othman as the new First Vice President of the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago.

Mr Othman replaces Seif Sharif Hamad who died on February 17, 2021. Veteran politician Hamad was the Zanzibar chairman and presidential contender of the island’s main opposition the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo).

The party accepted the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi invitation to join the government in December last year.

According to Zanzibar Constitution, a party that gets at least 10% of the presidential votes will take the position of the First Vice President and form the government with the winning party.

The constitution also states that the president should name the successor of the First or Second Vice President within 14 days following their demise.

“And following powers vested on him through Article 39(4) of the Zanzibar Constitution of 1984 and after consultations with ACT-Wazalendo, the President of Zanzibar and chairman of the Revolutionary Council Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi has appointed Mr Othman Masoud Othman Sharif to be the First Vice President,” read the statement from State House.

Edited by Olajumoke Adeleke