Zanzibar police seal off party HQ
The security forces on Tanzania's Zanzibar islands have sealed off large
parts of the main city around the opposition party headquarters.
The BBC's Noel Mwakugu in Zanzibar says that dozens of opposition activists
have collapsed after breathing teargas.

The opposition CUF has claimed victory in Sunday's presidential election.
Official results are expected later.

There have been sporadic clashes since Sunday, sparked by claims that ruling
CCM supporters were voting illegally.

These claims have been denied by both the CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) and the
Zanzibar Electoral Commission.

'Chaos'

Our correspondent says that hundreds of CUF (Civic United Front) supporters
kept an overnight vigil outside the party headquarters before the police
moved in, firing teargas.

CUF chairman Ibrahim Lipumba said the opposition had narrowly won the
election, although he said the CCM would officially be declared the winner.

"We believe that our candidate [Seif Sharif] Hamad has won the election
despite all the attempts at rigging," he said.

"He has won by a very small margin [but] we have heard that the ZEC will
announce CCM as the winner as usual."

Government spokesman Vuai Ali Vuai, however, accused the CUF of stirring up
trouble.

"Our friends want to make chaos by telling the world results before they are
counted ... We have great hope we will be the winner," he told Reuters news
agency.

Election postponed

More than 30,000 members of the security forces have been deployed in the
semi-autonomous islands. Some 500,000 people were expected to cast their
ballots.

In elections to the 50-seat House of Representatives, the CCM has won 14
seats on the main island, while the CUF had won 19 seats - all but one on
the second island of Pemba.
Incumbent Amani Karume is running for a second term after winning elections
in November 2000, while Mr Hamad was runner-up in Zanzibar's 1995 and 2000
presidential elections.

As well as casting their ballots for a president for the islands, voters
were choosing 50 members for the legislature and 139 local councillors.

Voting on the mainland has been postponed due to the death of opposition
vice-presidential candidate, Jumbe Rajab Jumbe.

Zanzibar voters will now have to wait until 18 December to vote in
nationwide presidential and legislative elections.