simplemind
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 10, 2009
- 16,409
- 9,183
The determination by Tanzania’s ruling party, the
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), to hold onto power
in Zanzibar, no matter the cost, is approaching
recklessness and threatens to open up a new
front of violent conflict and extremism in Africa.
The Zanzibar Electoral Commission has set a
date of March 20th for the rerun of the elections
that were annulled in October last year after
informal results showed that the opposition Civic
United Front (CUF) had won decisively.
Zanzibar is a small nation, a tropical archipelago
of islands in the Indian Ocean famed for its
beauty and politically a semi-autonomous part of
the United Republic of Tanzania, which has been
ruled by the CCM since independence in 1962.
Despite its size, the struggle for democracy in
Zanzibar has much wider ramifications in a
region economically rising but facing significant
challenges of poverty, unemployment and
religious fundamentalism.
The announcement of a rerun rode roughshod
over the dialogue that the parties have been
engaged in for the last three months to resolve
the political impasse.
Since the elections were annulled, the leadership
of the CUF has urged its supporters, including
many young people who voted for the first time,
to remain patient to avoid a repeat of the
violence of 2000 when more than 60 people died
in clashes after disputed elections. The CUF has
decided that it will boycott new elections, which
it sees as little more than an exercise in rigging.
Part of the fear of the CCM ruling party seems
to be that an opposition victory in Zanzibar will
be a first step towards the dissolution of the
union with Tanganyika. But this is not sufficient
justification for abridging the democratic rights
of the Zanzibaris. If anything, it will further fuel
their discontent.
The envoys and Ambassadors of a number of
countries, including the UK and the US, have
sent a strongly worded note to Tanzanian,
President John Pombe Magufuli, saying they will
not legitimize the election by sending
international observers. However, they were not
joined in their protects by a single African
Ambassador.
President Muhammadu Buhari, as the leader of
Africa’s largest democracy, should signal that
Nigeria is prepared to stand up and be counted in
favour of the democratic rights of the citizens of
Zanzibar.
The elections were declared free and fair by
every single international observer mission – the
African Union, the Commonwealth, the European
Union, the East African Community and the South
African Development Community, as well as
American and British observers. The count was
concluded days before the annulment and it was
clear the ruling party had been defeated. All that
remained was the official ratification of a handful
of results.
Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairman,
Zecha Salim Zecha, said he annulled the election
because of “irregularities” but these charges
have never been explained, let alone proven.
Even if they were, it would be for an independent
tribunal to determine whether the offences were
so egregious that they merited the extreme
action of cancelling an election.
Mr. Zecha, a political appointee of the ruling
party, had neither the constitutional nor legal
authority to cancel the election, and he took this
drastic step without even consulting his fellow
commissioners.
One man has been allowed to plunge Zanzibar
into a political and constitutional crisis. The
equivalent would have been if Professor Attahiru
Jega had gone on television to unilaterally annul
last year’s Nigerian elections while the results
were still being announced, because of certain
“irregularities” that he would not disclose.
If the new “election” does go ahead on March
20th , Zanzibaris are likely to go to the streets
and conflict might ensue. The ruling party has
already moved to stifle dissent by closing down
radio stations and banning newspapers, by
threats of violence, by beatings and arrests, and
by a hugely increased security force presence on
the streets.
We find it hard to believe that President
Magufuli, who has embarked on a robust public
relations campaign, would sacrifice his image by
endorsing a fake “election” that undermines
democracy and the rule of law, and threatens to
lead to widespread violence and has already
been rejected by much of the international
community.
PREMIUM TIMES calls on President Magufuli to
exercise leadership and to get all parties to work
towards a peaceful outcome. He has the
wherewithal to bring the situation to a positive
conclusion and he should do what is necessary
to consolidate Tanzanian democracy.
Also, we call on President Buhari to rally African
opinion against this abuse of the democratic
process. We should not wait till the deed is done,
as in Burundi, before sending out fire fighters
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), to hold onto power
in Zanzibar, no matter the cost, is approaching
recklessness and threatens to open up a new
front of violent conflict and extremism in Africa.
The Zanzibar Electoral Commission has set a
date of March 20th for the rerun of the elections
that were annulled in October last year after
informal results showed that the opposition Civic
United Front (CUF) had won decisively.
Zanzibar is a small nation, a tropical archipelago
of islands in the Indian Ocean famed for its
beauty and politically a semi-autonomous part of
the United Republic of Tanzania, which has been
ruled by the CCM since independence in 1962.
Despite its size, the struggle for democracy in
Zanzibar has much wider ramifications in a
region economically rising but facing significant
challenges of poverty, unemployment and
religious fundamentalism.
The announcement of a rerun rode roughshod
over the dialogue that the parties have been
engaged in for the last three months to resolve
the political impasse.
Since the elections were annulled, the leadership
of the CUF has urged its supporters, including
many young people who voted for the first time,
to remain patient to avoid a repeat of the
violence of 2000 when more than 60 people died
in clashes after disputed elections. The CUF has
decided that it will boycott new elections, which
it sees as little more than an exercise in rigging.
Part of the fear of the CCM ruling party seems
to be that an opposition victory in Zanzibar will
be a first step towards the dissolution of the
union with Tanganyika. But this is not sufficient
justification for abridging the democratic rights
of the Zanzibaris. If anything, it will further fuel
their discontent.
The envoys and Ambassadors of a number of
countries, including the UK and the US, have
sent a strongly worded note to Tanzanian,
President John Pombe Magufuli, saying they will
not legitimize the election by sending
international observers. However, they were not
joined in their protects by a single African
Ambassador.
President Muhammadu Buhari, as the leader of
Africa’s largest democracy, should signal that
Nigeria is prepared to stand up and be counted in
favour of the democratic rights of the citizens of
Zanzibar.
The elections were declared free and fair by
every single international observer mission – the
African Union, the Commonwealth, the European
Union, the East African Community and the South
African Development Community, as well as
American and British observers. The count was
concluded days before the annulment and it was
clear the ruling party had been defeated. All that
remained was the official ratification of a handful
of results.
Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairman,
Zecha Salim Zecha, said he annulled the election
because of “irregularities” but these charges
have never been explained, let alone proven.
Even if they were, it would be for an independent
tribunal to determine whether the offences were
so egregious that they merited the extreme
action of cancelling an election.
Mr. Zecha, a political appointee of the ruling
party, had neither the constitutional nor legal
authority to cancel the election, and he took this
drastic step without even consulting his fellow
commissioners.
One man has been allowed to plunge Zanzibar
into a political and constitutional crisis. The
equivalent would have been if Professor Attahiru
Jega had gone on television to unilaterally annul
last year’s Nigerian elections while the results
were still being announced, because of certain
“irregularities” that he would not disclose.
If the new “election” does go ahead on March
20th , Zanzibaris are likely to go to the streets
and conflict might ensue. The ruling party has
already moved to stifle dissent by closing down
radio stations and banning newspapers, by
threats of violence, by beatings and arrests, and
by a hugely increased security force presence on
the streets.
We find it hard to believe that President
Magufuli, who has embarked on a robust public
relations campaign, would sacrifice his image by
endorsing a fake “election” that undermines
democracy and the rule of law, and threatens to
lead to widespread violence and has already
been rejected by much of the international
community.
PREMIUM TIMES calls on President Magufuli to
exercise leadership and to get all parties to work
towards a peaceful outcome. He has the
wherewithal to bring the situation to a positive
conclusion and he should do what is necessary
to consolidate Tanzanian democracy.
Also, we call on President Buhari to rally African
opinion against this abuse of the democratic
process. We should not wait till the deed is done,
as in Burundi, before sending out fire fighters
