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Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi on Saturday launched the campaign for its Zanzibar presidential candidate Hussein Mwinyi with a promise to improve the archipelago’s economic development.

“If elected to the highest post I will make sure that our economy grows by at least 6.8 percent annually,” said Mwinyi, the country’s former Minister for Defense and National Service.

The United Republic of Tanzania was formed on April 26, 1964, as a result of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The Zanzibar government has its own parliament and president.

Mwinyi, the son of former Tanzanian president Ali Hassan Mwinyi who served from 1985 to 1995, also vowed to provide free education, free medical care and clean water supply.

If elected in the Oct. 28 general election, Mwinyi will succeed Ali Mohamed Shein, the 7th president of Zanzibar, who has been in office since 2010.