The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Orton Kiishweko
30 May 2008
Zanzibar — The US Ambassador, Mr Mark Green, says only a speedy resolution to the Mwafaka stalemate is what his country wants for Tanzania.
In an interview with The Citizen yesterday, he said he fully supported the appeal by President Jakaya Kikwete that representatives of both the Civic United Front (CUF) and Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) resume the stalled talks on the Zanzibar political crisis.
Said he: "We are interested in seeing both parties immediately going back to the table to speedily find a solution."
He said his country supports all efforts that would not let a "beautiful Island like Zanzibar disintergrate".
Mr Green said against the current developments on the stalemate, the 'time was right' for the two parties to resume talks and save the Isles'.
However, two days ago the CUF chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba blamed the stalled Mwafaka talks on what he termed as a 'leadership vacuum' within the current government.
The ambassador said his government was interested in a quick solution to the Isles standoff by both parties.
Prof Lipumba had said that the political crisis in Zanzibar 'needed urgent intervention to prevent the nation from sinking deeper into despair.'
State house spokesman, Mr Salva Rweyemamu, also said that the president was not to blame for the failure of Mwafaka talks between representatives of both parties.
The talks took 14 months but ended without reaching a consensus on how to resolve the political empasse in Zanzibar.Mr Rweyemamu also said that CUF should demonstrate responsibility by going back to the negotiating table.
The talks have stalled over the question of power sharing. CCM, in favour of a referendum, has ruled out the possibility of inclusion of CUF in the government till the general elections of the year 2010.
President Kikwete, on May 15, urged the Mwafaka negotiating teams to resume talks and push the process forward.
But CUF asked him to take the lead in bringing the Zanzibar President, Mr Amani Abeid Karume and CUF's Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad to the negotiating table.
Several Tanzania's development partners and religious leaders have been pushing for a speedy and binding resolution to the Zanzibar crisis.It has been heightened by uncompromising stands adopted by both CCM and CUF negotiators.
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