Tanzania's new president, Jakaya Kikwete, vowed on Friday to fight corruption and pledged to ease political tension in the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, which have witnessed violence in recent months, Reuters reported. "My government is going to deal with all forms of corruption," Kikwete said in his inaugural speech to Tanzania's parliament based in Dodoma. "White-collar corruption will be high on the list and we are going to plug all gaps that are being used by corrupt leaders (and) business people." Kikwete, 55, the candidate of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, or Party of the Revolution) won the Dec. 14 election with 80.2 percent of the 11.3 million votes cast. He was sworn in as Tanzania's fourth post-independence president on Dec. 21, succeeding Benjamin Mkapa. His nearest challenger, Civic United Front's (CUF) Ibrahim Lipumba, won 11.6 percent of the votes cast on the mainland and Zanzibar. Kikwete said his drive on corruption would begin with the top leadership and promised that the government would review its tendering system.
