Zanzibar's turbulent transition

Abstract

On 29 October 2000, 10 million voters in 231 constituencies cast their votes for 13 political parties throughout Tanzania. The election on the Tanzanian mainland was predictably won by the ruling CCM (Party of the Revolution) against a divided and weak opposition. In Zanzibar, on the other hand, the CCM faced a fierce challenge from the CUF (Civic United Front) as approximately 450,000 people voted in 50 constituencies for the Union and Zanzibar Presidents, and candidates for the Union and Zanzibar Legislatures. The elections on Zanzibar were grossly mismanaged and deepened the growing political crisis in the United Republic of Tanzania. And indeed, on 27 January 2001, throughout the major cities of Tanzania, there were mass protests against the electoral coup on Zanzibar. The police killed between 30 and 70 people and wounded upwards of 600 people. Thousands fled to the mainland and more than 2,000 Zanzibaris, mainly Pembans, fled to Kenya as refugees (Human Rights Watch, April 2002).