Commander killed in Zanzibar

Zanzibar - The commander of a paramilitary group backed by Zanzibar's ruling party was stabbed to death following several days of violence related to voter registration on the semi-autonomous archipelago, police said on Friday.

Police commander Faraji Kayuga said an unidentified assailant killed Ayoub Mohammed Suleiman, the commander of the Volunteer Group on the northern island of Pemba on Thursday night in the main town of Chake Chake.

Kayuga said senior ruling party officials attended Suleiman's burial on Friday morning.

Zanzibar's minister of home affairs and senior security officials met on Friday in Chake Chake to discuss violence related to voter registration that began on Monday in southern Pemba.

Deaths of opposition supporters

Registration for the October 2005 general election will take place in phases, with the first registrations being done in south Pemba.

After three days of clashes with riot police, which left three opposition party supporters dead, Kayuga said calm had returned on Friday to Pemba, home to 30 000 people.

Suleiman's slaying was suspected to be retaliation for the deaths of the opposition supporters.

Kayuga said: "The situation is in control. We will, without any doubt, find a worthy way out of this complicated situation."

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, but under a federal system and Zanzibar has its own president and parliament. The two previous multi-party elections in 1995 and 2000 were marred by allegations of vote rigging and violence.

50 people arrested

Both ruling party and opposition leaders have warned that the 2005 elections may be even worse, since both sides have been training so-called "civil defence" forces to ensure the 2005 elections are free and fair.

Salim Bimani of the opposition Civic United Front called for the resignation of Zanzibar's chief minister and minister for security following the deaths of the three opposition supporters, who were shot by riot police.

Vuai Ali Vuai of Chama Cha Mapinduzi said the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party blamed the opposition for the violence, insisting the opposition was trying to block ruling-party members for registering in Pemba, an opposition stronghold.

So far, 50 people have been arrested in connection with registration process. The establishment of a permanent voters roll is part of a deal struck between the parties in 2001 to help prevent vote rigging.

Edited by Andiswa Mesatywa

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