No referendum for ZNZ; Yes for Unity Government!

No referendum for ZNZ; Yes for Unity Government!*

By. M. M. Mwanakijiji

If the Union Government and the ruling party believe that what is needed to bring harmony and unity among Zanzibaris is to create a unity government (the so called government of national unity) then the people's representatives in Zanzibar should be allowed to endorse the idea and from there a unity government should be established immediately.

But, if the union government and CCM's NEC believe that in order to have a unity government there should be first a referendum where by the people of Zanzibar would vote if they agree then allow me to be the first one to vehemently oppose this referendum for being manipulative, unnecessary and would set a very dangerous precedence in the future.

It is manipulative because the referendum would avoid the political issues that have eclipsed these Islands for so long and instead it would create a " merry-go-around" system of dealing with political issues by simply bringing them to vote. Unfotunately, unless we know what percentage of votes would render the exercise credible it is almost impossible to know what the people really want. Should it be a simple majority vote? What if the referendum comes out almost fifty fifty (something that could easily happen in Zanzibar)? Would we say the people's voice has spoken?

It is unnecessary because, for almost fifty years we have known that Zanzibar is split almost in the middle and there is now way any government can govern effectively without involving the other party. It was for this reason prior to the revolution the first post independence government under Shamte was an all inclusive one. If we already know this and we have experienced since the elections of 1995, 2000 and 2005 that Zanzibaris are still divided why not just go along and agree in principle and in law that after this year election who ever wins MUST establish a unity Government. Isn't that the easiest thing to do rather than calling for a referendum and have the people all charged up again right before the general election?

On the other hand, if this idea of national unity is a good idea and if CCM believe that it is good for Zanzibar to have such a government why not then consider the same idea to the mainland? Don't they think some of us believe that a unity government should also be created on the mainland? We believe we have very good leaders outside the ruling party who could be invited to join the government in power. If they don't believe it they should also call a referendum on the mainland and see how many Tanzanians would support it. If it is good for one party of the union I believe it is also good for the other!

But even worse, this is dangerous. If we agree today (as the ruling party seems to imply) that a referendum will be legally binding to the point of changing the political landscape and structure of Zanzibar why then shouldn't we expect that a call for a referendum in the future would be made by those voices which would like to secede from the Union? What will stop other politicians citing the referendum to call for a new referendum to decide on other political issues? The possibilities of chaos are endless.

Otherwise, yes for the Unity government, but no for the referendum!

NB: The article can be used by any print media with all permission of editing and corrections (it is the only draft and I'm out to sleep!)

And with the already known political environment of Zanzbar, who is gonna trust the final results of the proposed referendum????????

What is unity gvt?

Je? ni serikali ambayo inaongozwa na mtu aliyemwibia mwenzake kura kama ilivyo Kenya, Zimbabwe na sasa inaanza Zanzibar?

Nini cha muhimu ni kuweka uwanja sawa kwenye uchaguzi ama ni kuja kukubaliana mwishoni?

Kwa nini watu wapige kura kama mmoja anaweza kumwibia mwenzake na wakaja kutawala/kuongoza wote?

lililo baki kwa wazenji kuamua kuwa na serekali moja tu hakuna jengine ili kuondoa mgongano na chama kiwe kimoja kwa tz

Referendum ni kama uchaguzi mkuu maana unahusisha watu wote nani atasimamia hiyo referendum kama ni hii hii ZEC au NEC na kama watatumia daftari la wapiga kura hili lililo na mgogoro ni dhahiri matokeo yatapingwa na upande mwingine mifano ipo mingi refer matokeo ya chaguzi zote tatu au wataita AU au UN wasimamie, kama ni serikali yetu bado serikali ni sehemu ya tatizo badala ya kutibu itazidisha tatizo.

Ninachoiomba CCM iheshimu maamuzi yeyote ya Wawakilishi kwa sababu wako pale kwa mujibu wa sheria na wanawakilisha watu vinginevyo watatufanya tuanze kuamini kuwa chombo cha wawakilishi ni kama bendera tu na kipo pale kutimiza malengo ya CCM na si ya wazanzibari.

Nani atatuhakikishia kuwa matokeo ya referendum hayatakuwa-tempered ku favor upande mmoja. Nia ya unity government ni kuondokana na ukiritimba wa ZEC na vyombo vyote vinavyosimamia chaguzi mbali mbali ambavyo haviaminiwi na CUF kama CCM bara wanaona ni lazima kuwe na referendum basi atafutwe msimamizi ambaye atakubalika na pande zote ili matokeo yawe fair kwa wote.

Hakuna haja ya serikali ya mseto maana Africa kuna Ugonjwa wa ajabu sana kwa kuona kwa vyama vya upinzani na vyama Tawala. Hii siyo demokrasi hata kidogo mzee wangu na pia ina lengo la kuua kabisa vyama vilivyopo. Jaribu kutazama Kenya na Zimbambwe.. Hii ni shida kubwa sana. cha msingi ni kuwepo kwa uchaguzi huru na aliye shinda katika uchaguzi huo basi aunde serikali yake

Hivi juzi juzi si tumesikia Ujerumani wameunda serikali ya umoja wa kitaifa au nimesikia vibaya. Walifikiaje huko? kulikuwa na refferendum?

I hate imported democracy

Josh Michael said:

Hakuna haja ya serikali ya mseto maana Africa kuna Ugonjwa wa ajabu sana kwa kuona kwa vyama vya upinzani na vyama Tawala. Hii siyo demokrasi hata kidogo mzee wangu na pia ina lengo la kuua kabisa vyama vilivyopo. Jaribu kutazama Kenya na Zimbambwe.. Hii ni shida kubwa sana. cha msingi ni kuwepo kwa uchaguzi huru na aliye shinda katika uchaguzi huo basi aunde serikali yake

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Mr JM

How do you define Democracy majority should be listened or minority should be listened my definition is both of them.

This is known as delay tactic!

Mzee Mwanakijiji said:

This is known as delay tactic!

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Not only a delaying tactics, but CCM trying to play peoples mind away!.

Karume na Seif hili waliliona ndio maana walifanya siri. Kwa kutumia hoja ya referendum, CCM inataka kuwafanya Wanzanzibari wote ni mataahira. Hivi kweli hoja ya umoja ndio mkawaulize wananchi!. Mbona hoja kubwa za kuua mamlaka ya nchi na kujisubmit kwenye muungano, hamkuwauliza? leo ndio muwaulize kujiunga na CUF?!.

Hoja ya kuuwa ASP kuiunganisha na TANU ya bara kuunda CCM hakuwauliza ila kuunganisha CCM ZnZ na CUF ZnZ zote za huko ndio waulizwe wananchi?!.

Rais wa Zanzibar alikuwa Makamo, kapokwa, he is nothing kwenye muungano, hamkuwauliza, lakini leo kumfanya Seif/Duni/ au Hamad Rashid kuwa Waziri Kiongozi ndio mkaulize?.

Articles za Union zilikuwa na items 11, sasa zimeongezwa ziko zaidi ya 20, hamkuuliza leo kuongeza item 1 tuu ya serikali ya umoja wa kitaifa ndio mkaulize wananchi?.

Hawa CCM wana lao jambo, tena hawaitakii mema Zanzibar.

Alhamisi baraza linaijadili hoja, Mungu awabariki muamue uamuzi wa busara kwa kuweka maslahi ya Zanzibar mbele na sio kuendekeza siasa za vyama.

Huu ni mustakabali wa nchi, sio vyama!.

Mzee Mwanakijiji said:

This is known as delay tactic!

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It might be but also can be viewed as an experiment to the manipulated electoral register If it works as intended. The CCM power mongers must have told Karume that you should leave others to get in like how you got in.

I will be convinced if this will be a "Constitutional referendum" drafted and agreed by both parties with UN takes a central role to the process by establishing the new electoral register and appoint their own electoral officials for this purpose, at the same time CCM and CUF should campaign together openly in favour of the YES vote. Otherwise nothing new here apart from the same game with same results. Hence delay the 2010 Zanzibar election

Denying the people a direct saying in the make up of their government creates an inherent plague in the union that will forever haunt the setup and rob the government the necessary legitimacy of clamping down imaginary and real zealots bent on sabotaging the union with the so called "treason".

Once a free and fair referrendum is availed, whether the union prevail or not, the will of the people will prevail.Let us not try to shield the union "by any means necessary", including by stifling the voice of the people.

If the people say "Yes" to the Union, then the government from then on will be perfectly justified in using strict measures to deal with treason.

If the people say "No" we will lose the union but maintain our integrity as a people.

Any attempt at blocking a referrendum is an attempt at stifling the direct voice of the people.Unless one does not believe in direct democracy, I do not see how one can oppose a free and fair referrendum.

Kiranja.. do you think the people of US voted for their Union?

Mzee Mwanakijiji said:

Kiranja.. do you think the people of US voted for their Union?

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The name is Kiranga, Kiranja is an impostor.



Ile habari ya Civil War ilikuwa a forceful aggression. Watu hawataki kubaki katika Union utawalazimishaje? ndiyo maana mpaka leo ukivuka Mason-Dixon kwenda South kuna watu hawawapendi Yankees.

Kwa hiyo leo Wazenj wote wakisema hawataki muungano wewe uko tayari tupigane vita ili "tuudumishe" muungano?

Kiranga said:

The name is Kiranga, Kiranja is an impostor.

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the he got you good..!

Ile habari ya Civil War ilikuwa a forceful aggression. Watu hawataki kubaki katika Union utawalazimishaje? ndiyo maana mpaka leo ukivuka Maxon-Dixon kwenda South kuna watu hawawapendi Yankees.

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of course.. but guess what they are better in the union than outside it.

Kwa hiyo leo Wazenj wote wakisema hawataki muungano wewe uko tayari tupigane vita ili "tuudumishe" muungano?

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absolutely without blinking.

Mzee Mwanakijiji said:

the he got you good..!

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I will reincarnate anyway, a rolling stone gather no moss

of course.. but guess what they are better in the union than outside it.

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Now, any sane person knows that playing alternate history is at best fictitious, and we can spend an entire night arguing hypotheticals, but we cannot know how the Confederate States would have turned out, the slave labor stood to give them a natural advantage for one.I cannot see how you arrive at your conclusion and expose your bias towards the US and against reason in such a manner, the bottom line is this is unknowable.

absolutely without blinking.

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This, by any other name, is fascism. Il Duce Benito Mussolini would have been proud.

Kiranga said:

ndiyo maana mpaka leo ukivuka Maxon-Dixon kwenda South kuna watu hawawapendi Yankees.

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Hiyo ndio nini? Maana niijuayo mimi ni Mason-Dixon....

The Union set up has been surpassed by events. We have to go back to the drawing board and come up with the new formula. The Zanzibar issue will not be resolved by forming a government of ‘national' unity. What we are seeing is a ‘cooling period' to which once the said government is in place then another issues will erupt such as Upemba and Uzanzibar. Thereafter, it will be Makunduchis vis a vis others at Unguja.

My take is: CCM knows very well that a single government with the ‘ujimbolism' is the permanent solution for Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

JK asimamie KATIBA ya JMT alioapa kuilinda na kuitetea siku ile ya kwanza tu. Jukumu hili anapoendelea kulizembea ndio linaleta chokochoko zote hizi. Akishindwa kwa kweli ampishe mtu mwingine. Zanzibar wanachezea KATIBA yetu.