ZANZIBAR-POLITICS: Anarchy Grips Indian Ocean Islands

By Moyiga Nduru Reprint | | Print |

Moyiga Nduru

NAIROBI, Apr 17 1996 (IPS) - The Indian Ocean islands of Zanzibar have been in political turmoil for the past six months over the contested result of multi-party elections.

The opposition Civic Union Forum (CUF), under its charismatic leader Seif Shariff Hamad, claims the October 1995 poll in the twin islands of Pemba and Ungunja — which together form Zanzibar — were rigged by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

The election results, declared free and fair by international monitoring groups despite misgivings over the organisation of the poll, gave incumbent Salmin Amour the narrowest of victories — 50.8 percent of the vote as opposed to Hamad’s 49.3 percent.

“But the CUF refused categorically to concede defeat and instead resorted to implementing what they call a campaign of civil disobedience which entails, among other things, CUF’s elected representatives boycotting the House sessions and its failure to recognise the new administration sworn-in after the elections,” the Chief Minister of Zanzibar, Mohamed Gharib Bilal, told a press conference here this week.

“As if this is not enough, the CUF is now resorting to acts of terrorism instead of assuming its legally recognised role of an opposition party which is supposed to put to task the ruling party and its government by acting as a watch-dog in the pursuit of good governance, democracy and the respect for human rights,” he said.

The Chief Minister claimed that CUF activists in Pemba — the richer of the two islands where the opposition won all 21 seats — had set fire to schools and ordered children to boycott classes.

“In cases where children refused to adhere to such an order, CUF activists resorted to paint the school walls with human (excrement), and putting human (excrement) in the wells so that people could not use the water. All these dirty activities are being systematically undertaken by CUF zealots,” he said.

The government was particularly shaken by the recent bombing of a transformer at the Mtoni power station, which kept the whole of Zanzibar in the dark for four consecutive days.

Forty people have been arrested as a result of the incident which cost the government one million dollars to repair, according to Bilal. “Those arrested will be charged with various crimes. Some were arrested in the home of Hamad,” he said.

Reacting to Bilal’s charges, Khoti Kamanga, a law professor at Tanzania’s University of Dar es Salaam told IPS that in the widening political crisis the security forces are also guilty of harassing CUF supporters.

Kamanga, who monitored Zamzibar’s election, accused the Tanzanian central government under the CCM of refusing to intervene in the conflict. “President (Benjamin) Mkapa argues that the constitution does not allow him to interfere in the internal affairs of Zanzibar. Yet the situation on the island is very grave, demanding urgent attention.”

Zanzibar, a former colony of the Sultanate of Oman, merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the Republic of Tanzania in 1964. Bilal claims that Oman is plotting to reassert its influence in Zanzibar through Hamad who traces his family roots back to the sultanate.

Bilal says the one million Zanzibaris, particularly those on Ungunja peopled mainly by mainlanders, have not forgotten their subjugation under the sultanate which led to an armed revolt in 1964 which unseated the monarchy.

CUF meanwhile seems to be tapping into mounting Muslim fervour, which also echoes on the mainland, and is supporting the introduction of Islamic Sharia (law) on Zanzibar.

Tanzania is a secular state. Its constitution, drafted by the former Socialist government of ex-President Julius Nyrere, has managed to hold together a country of 120 ethnic groups divided almost equally between Muslims and Christians.

Bilal alleges that Zanzibar’s problems are being compounded by political interference by donor nations. “Western diplomats meet regularly with Hamad. We have a record of their meetings,” he said.

The Chief Minister warned that his government would not allow individuals or any group to take the law into their own hands. “We are going to enforce the rule of law and order in Zanzibar,” he said.

To resolve the political crisis, Kamanga urges dialogue between CCM and CUF. “That’s the only way to avoid unrest in Zanzibar.”

The idea has, however, been rejected by the Zanzibari government.

“I think CUF would be better off strengthening the democratic process in Zanzibar than continuing with the boycott of parliament,” Ando Pandu Kaficho, Speaker of the House, told IPS.