Tanzania, Aug. 26 -- Dar es Salaam. The resignation of Vice President Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi has added a new and unexpected chapter to a political career marked by a steady rise through the ranks of CCM, major political setbacks and a subsequent return to the centre of national leadership.

Regarded by his admirers as one of the ruling party's most astute political minds, Dr Nchimbi's decision to step down is likely to renew questions about the circumstances behind his departure, with some analysts suggesting that it could point to deeper differences within the political establishment.

In the resignation letter he sent to President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday, Dr Nchimbi said he had decided to retire from politics and public service.

The...