(30 Oct 2000) English/Nat
XFA
Opposition activists on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar have called for the resignation of the island's government and are demanding new elections.
Riot police shot at activists from the Civic United Front who were protesting at the failure of the electoral commission to deliver ballots on Sunday to districts where the CUF was expected to do well.
Police arrested several dozen young men.
Presidential candidate Seif Sharif Hamad who leads the CUF, said the party were considering the government invalid.
Hamad also demanded the dismissal of the electoral commission, which was chosen by the government's party.
The electoral commission said results in 16 constituencies in Zanzibar would be nullified and the counting suspended in the other 34 until a new vote was held in the troubled areas.
Hamad has demanded fresh balloting in all the districts.
He also has accused electoral officials of delivering ballots to ruling party strongholds first, and then much later or not at all to opposition areas.
In some areas, hundreds of people were still waiting for ballots 12 hours after the polls opened.
Sunday's election on mainland Tanzania for a national president, parliament and local government went peacefully, and President Benjamin Mkapa was expected to win re-election easily over three other candidates.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Yes, we agree there were lots of irregularities. So this nullification should be for the whole election, not only in two districts."
SUPER CAPTION: Seif Shariff Hamad, Secretary general of CUF
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