Salum Khalfan Barwany or Salum Khalfani Bar'wani (born 30 June 1959) is a Tanzanian CUF politician and Member of Parliament for Lindi Town constituency.[1] He is the first Tanzanian MP with albinism to be elected to parliament.[2]

Salum Barwany
Member of Parliament
for Lindi Town
In office
November 2010 – November 2015
Preceded byMohammed Abdulaziz
Personal details
Born (1959-06-30) 30 June 1959 (age 65)
Tanganyika
NationalityTanzanian
Political partyCUF
Alma materMingoyo Primary School
Mkonge Secondary School

He was elected to the National Assembly of Tanzania (Swahili: Bunge la Tanzania) on 2 November 2010 from the district of Lindi Urban in the far south-east, and is the first albino to be elected to the Bunge in the country's history[3][4] (the first to sit in the legislature was a woman, Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer, who appointed to the Bunge by the President, two years earlier).[3]

Upon his election, Bar'wani stated:[3]

I am so touched that this is the first time in the electoral history of this country for an albino to be elected by the people in a popular contest to be their representative in parliament – and not through sympathy votes or decisions.

Tanzania is a country noted both for a high incidence of albinism, and persecution of people with albinism, especially by a cult of witchdoctors with considerable influence and power in rural areas.

References

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  1. ^ "Member of Parliament CV". Parliament of Tanzania. 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  2. ^ Albinism in Tanzania, IB Times.
  3. ^ a b c "Tanzanians elect first albino to parliament". BBC News. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Tanzania Elects First Albino MP". The World Post. The Huffington Post and Berggruen Institute. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2015.