Zanzibar's political landscape in flux as ACT threatens pullout

Unguja. Zanzibar faces political uncertainty after opposition party ACT Wazalendo announced its intent to withdraw from the Government of National Unity (GNU) following what they have called three years of broken promises by the CCM led government.

The party says three core issues that were agreed upon before they joined remain unaddressed by Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi.

These include compensation for victims of the 2020 general election, establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights violations during the 2020 elections, and reforms to Zanzibar's electoral system.

In their assessment, nothing has been done to remedy the ills that befell the Isles during the 2020 General elections, and with time running out, they don’t see any reason of their continued stay in government, despite being constitutional requirement.

Whatever strands remain of the GNU now awaits the meeting between the party’s leadership and Presidents Samia Suluhu Hassan as instructed the National Executive Committee.

The move has polarized opinion both within the ruling party and ordinary citizens alike, with Ali Mzee Ali who led the six man Maridhiano team that gave birth to the GNU in 2010 is cautious saying it could lead to several steps backwards.

“We have been on that road before, and we all know the consequences. In 2015 after CUF refused to join the GNU, western powers withdrew their funding for several projects,” he said.

He says that the opposition may walk out of government and things will still run as usual there will be some lost ground.

“The question is that shall we have peace?” questions Mr Ali who was awarded the Martin Luther King Drum for his efforts in the Maridhiano.

According to Mr Ali if the GNU isn’t working, then a similar procedure that gave birth to the GNU should be followed.

“We had to go through a referendum of which 66 percent voted in favour of the GNU and 33 percent said No, and that is how it was enshrined in the constitution” he said.

His thoughts are lent credence by the man who initiated the entire process that led to the GNU, former President of Zanzibar, Amani Karume who said the only way out is that the two parties should ‘sit down and talk’.

“If at all there are any issues that are forcing the party to threaten to leave the GNU, procedure of how to deal with such issues are there because history has taught us, the only way is to engage each other in a dialogue. In my opinion when leaders start running away from each other it is like they are abdicating their responsibility,” said former president Karume on Uhai TV.

He added: Leaving the GNU won’t be a good thing because we would be making many backward steps, yet we have achieve so much together. Every day has its own challenges…..this country does not belong to an individual, so let’s sit down and talk to solve our problems.

But as the former president urged for dialogue, CCM’s ideology and publicity secretary Hamis Mbetto, threw the spanner in the works after he said the party does not recognize the agreement that was reached before ACT- Wazalendo joined the coalition.

“Our friends are saying that Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad agreed with President Hussein Mwinyi, that was their own agreement, because it doesn’t exist constitutionally. Even at the party level, these things were not brought to us,” said Mr Mbetto.

He criticized some of the demands that ACT Wazalendo has put forward, saying even CCM supporters were affected by the violence during the 2020 elections.

“Take a look at the composition of the ZEC commissioners. They are equal in number from both parties. The chairman is just an overseer of the activities of the commission,” he said.

Mrs Amina Juma, a trader at the busy Darajani shopping area, believes that the calmness that they have enjoyed in the past three years cannot be taken for granted.

“The Government of National Unity has brought calm and peace to the Isles therefore, if there are some unresolved issues it should be worked upon because we don’t want a repeat of the same circle of violence that has been happening during each of the past elections,” said Mrs Juma.

On the other hand, Makame Athumani, a resident of Mwnakwerekwe, believes the only reason why the GNU is shaky is because it is not representative.

"The GNU is only at the top and has nothing to do with the politics at the grassroot,"

  Zanzibar's Government of National Unity (GNU) emerged from a period of political tension following a referendum in August 2010.

The two major parties, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and Civic United Front (CUF), had historically clashed over election results.

In 2010, with fresh elections approaching and a repeat of past tensions looming, negotiations led to the Maridhiano Agreement. This agreement stipulated the formation of a GNU, with power-sharing between the two parties.

The agreement aimed to foster reconciliation and political stability, address concerns over electoral fairness, and implement institutional reforms.