Tension clouds early voting in Zanzibar following killings and arrest of Opposition chief

By Our Correspondent, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

Early voting in the semi-autonomous Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar has been marred with reports of killings by security forces and arrest of main opposition presidential candidate.

The opposition presidential candidate, Seif Sharif Hamad

Reports emerging from the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar that united with Tanganyika, to form United Republic of Tanzania in 1964 says that throughout the night the islands have been under siege, live gunshots and teargas canisters were witnessed.

The archipelago has been a hotbed of government opposition ever since it joined the adjacent territory of Tanganyika in 1964, creating Tanzania.

According to the main opposition party, Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo), four people have been killed, nine seriously injured and the presidential candidate, Seif Sharif Hamad, arrested.

Hamad (77), faces the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate for Zanzibar Hussein Mwinyi (53) who is the Minister for Defence and National Security of Tanzania and the son of Tanzania’s second president Ali Hassan Mwinyi.

The ACT-Wazalendo Communication and Advocacy Secretary, Salim Bimani, told a local media in Pemba that security personnel immensely deployed in the Islands fired randomly at night killing and injuring the citizens and that the presidential candidate was arrested at 8:05 near polling station of Garagara.

He named the deceased as Asha Haji Hassan, Yussuf Shaame Muhidin, Kombo Hamad salim all of Kangagani Kojani constituency and Masoud Salim Fadhil aged 16 of Mzambarauni wangwi constituency.

Pictures of the four deceased with bullets wounds are trending on social media.

He further named the injured as Abbas Haji Nyange (27), Bakari Khamis Bakari (55), Mukhtar Yahya Hassan (16), Khamis Mohammed Mmanga (40) and Hassan Kombo Ali (13). Others are Abbas Mgau Ali (22), Mgau Omar Mgau (35), Hamad Omar Hamad (20) and Ali Hamad Seif (16).

The main election is slated for Wednesday October 28 whereby both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar are supposed to vote for Tanzania Presidency, Members of Parliament and ward Councillors while Zanzibar shall vote also for its president and members of representatives.

According to the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) the Defence and Security personnel and the Commission’s election officials in Zanzibar have been scheduled to vote earlier today and other citizens vote on Wednesday.

However, tensions have since erupted over the two-day voting exercise with opposition party in the Isles ACT- Wazalendo led by Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, questioning the transparency of the arrangement with ZEC says this is meant to ensure security personnel fulfil responsibilities assigned to them on the isles during the official polling day.

The Mjini Magharibi Regional Police Commander, Awadh Juma, said he is still following the developments though he confirmed mass arrest of youths alleged to cause chaos.

The Inspector General of Police, Simon Sirro has warned youth against engaging in chaos and crime for anyone’s political interest ahead of the general elections.

Sirro who has camped in Pemba for sometimes now, insisted that the government would not bear with anyone, who would dare to violate the country's laws.

“We are approaching elections period, which has many issues, especially the youth, I ask you not to participate in acts which are against the law and whoever dares the police shall be dealt with vigorously.” He warned early this week.

The United States Ambassador to Tanzania, Donald Wright, has called for the security forces to show restraint and prevent more bloodshed.

“I am alarmed by reports from Zanzibar and elsewhere of violence, deaths, and detentions. It's not too late to prevent more bloodshed! Security forces must show restraint, and the National Electoral Commission and Zanzibar Electoral Commission must carry out their duties with integrity. Let's all pray for peaceful, fair elections." Said Ambassador Wright.

Zanzibar where once there were tourists, tanks and armed soldiers now line the cobbled streets in the iconic district of Stone Town as the East African nation lurches towards a general election on Wednesday that could spell the end of what's left of democracy on the mainland of Tanzania.

Tanzania’s strongman John Magufuli, who is running for national re-election on Wednesday, is the greatest barrier to free and fair elections that Zanzibar has ever faced, opposition leaders claim. According to his critics, he is leading Tanzania away from one of Africa’s most inclusive and peaceful democracies towards a totalitarian state. 

Opponents accuse him of shooting opposition figures, muzzling the independent press and replacing the judiciary with government stooges.

Zanzibaris complain about paying taxes to the mainland but receiving little investment in return. They also accuse the government of manipulating laws so that the mainland will disproportionately benefit from natural resources like offshore gas.

“For the ruling party (CCM), Zanzibar is like a colony which they want to keep on controlling,” said Ismail Jussa, a politician for Zanzibar’s leading opposition party ACT-Wazalendo.“The only way they can achieve that is to put a puppet in Zanzibar.”

With much more at stake than just the next five years, Mr Jussa said: “We are not going to tolerate another stolen election and therefore if we emerge victorious, we will ask our people to go and defend their votes, to go and defend their victory.”