Opposition wants autonomous Zanzibar

By Our Correspondent, PEMBA Tanzania

Zanzibar presidential candidate for opposition ACT-Wazalendo party, Seif Sharif Hamad, yesterday reiterated the need for the Isles to be a full autonomy government with a seat at the United Nations Assembly, build its own economy and respect the people’s humanity.

Zanzibar presidential candidate for opposition ACT-Wazalendo party, Seif Sharif Hamad

As Zanzibar prepares to vote in general elections this October, one of the burning issues on the archipelago of Zanzibar is the status of it union with the mainland.

The two sovereign states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar came together in the wake of independence from British colonial rule. The 1964 union has allowed Zanzibar to remain semi-autonomous with its own president, the main opposition party is calling for more autonomy and more economic freedoms.

Addressing a campaign rally in his Pemba stronghold at Kiwani, the opposition chief said his party has three strong agendas for the Zanzibar citizens namely; to ensure full autonomy government, to boost Zanzibar economic for the welfare of all citizens and ensure provision of international standard social services.

Members of ACT-Wazalendo

“Our government will ensure Zanzibar acquire a seat at the United Nations and have full autonomy government, have international standard for social services like health and education.” He stressed adding that struggle for those to be achieved needs perseverance, commitment and determination. 

He said to date Zanzibar has had no authority over the country to an extent that even the police force is selected from Tanzania Mainland.

He stressed that in such a scenario Zanzibar needs to have its own police and army force instead of continuing to rely on Tanzania Mainland who do not adhere to the law.

He noted that it was discouraging that the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) was established and headquartered in Tanzania Mainland with only a branch in Zanzibar.

“Since its inception we have never had a governor from Zanzibar. Does this mean we don’t have the capacity to run the institution?” he queried at a fully packed crowd.

Further he noted that the Tanzania mainland was expanding its Ports to other parts of the region including Tanga while the Isles had none stressing that such a situation warranted change that will ensure Zanzibari’s make own decision over the country.

In another development, he assured all public servants that threat they had been receiving warning them they would be sacked if they voted for the opposition was not true.

“I assure you there is no technology that can detect what any person has put on the ballot box, vote for me and any government official who sacks a person for doing that will face the law while paying the salaries of those they sacked,” he said.

Earlier ACT-Wazalendo Deputy Secretary General Nasoro Ahmed called on Zanzibar Electoral Commission to work towards protecting the people to ensure nobody interferes with the elections on October 28, this year.

This is following threats that those who will vote for the opposition especially public servants might lose their jobs.

Zanzibar has a long history of controversial, closely fought, violent elections. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has played a critical role in sustaining the CCM, the ruling party in both Zanzibar and on the mainland, in power.

This time around, the opposition has vowed to protect their victory by all means.

The controversy has renewed the debate over the extent to which the Zanzibar government and the Zanzibar faction of the CCM are autonomous from the Union Government in Dodoma.

The original 1964 constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania granted almost complete autonomy to the archipelago, which was heavily overrepresented in the Union Parliament, but the revised 1977 constitution increased the authority of the Union, enabling national armed forces to be deployed on the islands and reducing the autonomy of the Central Bank of Zanzibar.

Zanzibar politicians, nevertheless, still play an important role in the internal affairs of the ruling party.