The Rise and Fall of the Government of National Unity in Zanzibar: A Critical Analysis of the 2015 elections

Abstract

This article analyses the pitfalls that characterised the emergence and eventual demise of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tanzania's semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar. Drawn from continuous political and electoral observations in Zanzibar, the article analyses how the 2015 general elections contributed to the eventual dissolution of the GNU. The GNU in Zanzibar was a negotiated political settlement between two parties -the incumbent Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the Civic United Front (CUF). In particular, this article looks at how the start of the constitutional review process in Tanzania contributed to the withering of the GNU. Despite its undeniably noble agenda, the constitutional review process resuscitated old enmities between CCM and the CUF. The two parties' divergent stances on the structure of the Union revived the rifts that characterised their relationship before the GNU. We analyse the election cycle rhetoric following the run-up to the elections and how this widened the GNU fissures leading to its eventual demise after the re-election in March 2016. After the 2015 elections were nullified, the CUF, which had claimed victory, boycotted the re-election. As a result, the CCM won an overwhelming electoral victory.

Power-sharing and Identity-Politics Transformation in Zanzibar, Tanzania

“…and John (2020) talk about the elections under power-sharing. They denote that despite the efforts, the Island continue witnessed electoral violence and mistrust in the region of Unguja and Pemba (John, 2020;Minde et al, 2018;Said & Hikmany, 2016). Consequently, this phenomenon hinders the effort to solve the Island's political problem.…”

“…However, there has been a concern from academicians that power-sharing was not set to solve identity politics. Instead, it is a positional acquisition (Hamad, 2017;Minde et al, 2018;Mmanga, 2015;Nassor & Jose, 2010). Yet, it is not clearly known the extent that power-sharing transforms identity-based politics in Zanzibar.…”

“…The ups and downs and the mismatches of the power-sharing in Zanzibar have attracted an academic inquiry with a contiguous debate. Some of them seem it is institutional weaknesses such as the Electoral process, representatives cabinets, and other political institutions of the GNU (Bakari & Makulilo, 2012;Hamad, 2017;Minde et al, 2018;Nassor & Jose, 2014a;. Some scholars seem that it is elites' weakness in their leadership.…”

Power-sharing and electoral conflict management in Zanzibar: Focusing on electoral institutions

“…Every election cycle saw a high number of reported occurrences of killings, injuries, and social unrest (John, 2020). Minde et al (2018), state that the multiparty system's unadjusted electoral practices caused this tragedy. All competing parties and players in the Zanzibar election have continuously accused each other.…”

“…The re-emergence of electoral violence in 2020 attracted academic debates on the capacity of powersharing institutions to manage the pro-long electoral conflict on the Island (Bakari and Makulilo, 2012;John, 2020;Minde et al, 2018). Therefore, this paper analyzes the extent to which power-sharing institutions are set to manage the electoral-related conflict in Zanzibar.…”