Below is an article written by Mwinyi Sadallah, reported by the Sunday Observer, and published by IPPMedia:

The Civic United Front (CUF) will appeal for a United Nations supervision of the 2010 general and presidential elections if the issue of a government of national unity is not resolved soon.

Seif Sharrif Hamad, the CUF Secretary General, said this at a mass rally after a peaceful procession yesterday at Kibandamaiti Grounds in Zanzibar Municipality.

Hamad said CUF sensed that its rival, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi was playing political tricks aimed at delaying the resolution of the issue agreed by both parties in the negotiations that have been going on for more than a year.

CCM is proposing a referendum in the isles to get people’s views on the negotiated agreements.

“CUF will travel throughout the world to ensure the 2010 elections are supervised by the UN if CCM continues to refuse to sign the accord negotiated by both parties for the formation of a national unity government,” the CUF top leaders told supporters.

Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, the national chairman of CUF, told the rally that more processions are being planned in five zones which he named as Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, Pemba and later Zanzibar.

Freeman Mbowe, chairman of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party for Democracy and Development) told the rally that the people of Zanzibar that their rights would not be delivered to them on a silver platter but through concerted fight for them.

Mbowe likened the Zanzibar political situation to those in Kenya and Zimbabwe, wondering why President Jakaya Kikwete rushed to solve the Kenya problem while at home he was faced with a more serious one.

The national chairman of Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema said the leaders of CCM must agree to change so as to consolidate national unity which he said was threatened by the impasse.