ZANZIBAR: THE ruling party in Zanzibar, CCM, has called on political stakeholders to put national interests ahead of party differences, saying dialogue and reconciliation remain key to maintaining peace, unity and development in Tanzania.
CCM Zanzibar Ideology, Publicity and Training Secretary, Khamis Mbeto Khamis, said Zanzibar has a long history of resolving political differences through discussions and agreements, offering lessons for the country’s continued efforts to strengthen unity.
Speaking on the importance of political reconciliation, Mr Mbeto said Zanzibar’s experience, dating back to the early years of elections and subsequent political arrangements, demonstrates that Tanzanians have the capacity to resolve their own challenges through dialogue.
He cited various moments in Zanzibar’s political history, including the elections of 1957, 1961 and 1963, as well as later reconciliation efforts such as the 1995 Commonwealth-supported agreement and the Karume-led reconciliation initiative, as examples of political engagement aimed at restoring stability.
“Zanzibar has experience in these matters. We have shown that Tanzanians can sit down and discuss our own issues and find solutions,” he said.
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Mr Mbeto stressed that the priority should be placing the interests of the nation above those of political parties, individuals or positions of power.
He said CCM has demonstrated commitment to reconciliation through its 4R philosophy, adding that party chairperson President Samia Suluhu Hassan has repeatedly emphasised the need for Tanzanians to engage in dialogue to heal divisions, strengthen unity and accelerate development.
“We must put the interests of Tanzanians first, not the interests of our parties, our people or our positions. The goal should be a united nation working together to bring development,” he said.