STRAIGHT TALK : Please Allah help Z’bar end this mess safely

October 25, 2015 is a date that will not be erased easily in the Zanzibar history books. Thousands of Zanzibaris turned up to vote in the fifth multi-party elections. They system was re-introduced in the country in 1992.

Following the 2010 peace accord, famous as ‘Mwafaka’, people had hoped for another peaceful election. All was okay, from preparations to voting, but matters came to change during tallying – everything as marred.

Of course, there were shortcomings here and there including challenges during voter registration, the annexation of constituencies to create new ones leading to lack of clarity in boundaries, and appearance of people who are long dead in the voter register and faces that should not be in the list at all.

It was the most competitive and hard fought campaign with CCM clinging to dear life boasting of its five-year record but unleashing a shopping list of what it would do if granted another five.

CUF resorted to distancing itself from what it termed dismal performance of the government. It argues that it was a junior partner in the Government of National Unity. At the same time, it came out with a well-articulated manifesto.

It promised for great social and economic changes under the banner of making Zanzibar a new Singapore. It also promised to bring back the Muslim clerics detained in Dar es Salam where they are charged with terrorism. The party finally promised firm stand on constitution that befits Zanzibar.

After the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) and most stakeholders were happy that the elections were free, fair and well organised and counting and release of results for civic seats and 54 constituencies -- done and dusted in 24 hours -- it took longer for those of the presidency to be released to the public. Only results from 31 constituencies had been verified by the time hell broke loose.

ZEC chair Jecha Salim Jecha materialised from wherever he was and announced the decision to annul the results of Zanzibar elections. It has now emerged that it was a unilateral decision. He said further that the elections would be held on another date to be announced later. The chairman said one reason for reaching the decision he announced was that CUF’s Seif Shariff Hamad had on Monday made public the results claiming to win with 52.8 per cent, saying the move was meant to pre-empty the ZEC.

This, it appears, did not augur well with some quarters within CCM. So, there is the possibility that these did exert some pressure on the chairman and influenced him to announce the decision which has left Zanzibar rocking.

But CCM did not challenge the numbers. It became clear to some that it had lost the fight until Jecha threw in the life-line decision. However, all signs are on that CCM is behind the decision that some have termed a ‘coup’ and ‘usurpation’ of powers contrary to the democratic means, given the fact that CCM was not ready to hand over power to CUF through the ballot.

There are varying and vast implications of Jecha’s decision including the stagnation of installation of new by the time Dr Ali Mohammed Shein’s mandate expires meaning there will be no vice presidents and no ministers. At the same time, there will be no House of Representatives and in short no government and all avenues to make peace would be closed.

Dr Shein seems to be part of the problem and Kikwete appears to condone this spot in Zanzibar’s history as uncertainty, violence and bloodshed loom.

Please Allah, help Zanzibar. It very much needs you now.