Zanzibar: 1964 Revolution and the One-Party System

Extracted from: "Zanzibar" IN Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa (2002), edited by Tom Lodge, Denis Kadima and David Pottie, EISA, 410-412.

The revolution (see 1963 elections) did not only overthrow the ZNP-ZPPP government but also ousted the sultan and proclaimed Zanzibar a republic. State power shifted from the hands of one social class to another.

It is believed that the Zanzibar revolution was a reflection of racial conflict between the Arabs and the Africans. This may not be entirely correct. If we agree with Lenin that any political struggle is a class struggle, then the revolution was not just a mere reflection of ethnic conflict but the outcome of a long class struggle. It is quite true that class divisions were based on tribal lines. The 1964 Zanzibar revolution was, therefore, a revolution by landless peasants in alliance with other oppressed people against the landed aristocrats and their political leadership.

The first moves of the revolutionary government were to suspend the Lancaster House 1963 independence constitution, ban all political parties except the ASP and proclaim a constitutional decree that established a constitutional government and the rule of law. The constitution was set aside and the revolutionary council became the legislative body. Although it was stipulated that the constituent assembly was to be convened in one year's time to endorse a new constitution, this only occurred in 1979 and the first election was held in 1980.

The 1964 revolution which brought the ASP into power was the reaction to a situation that had become intolerable following the electoral manoeuvrings of the previous elections. Although the ASP had always polled more votes than other parties, it could not win more seats in the legislative council. The ASP believed that the British government was jointly conspiring with the Arab monarch to deny it any chance of winning the election. It was not surprising therefore, that just a few weeks after the British colonialists had gone the ASP took over power through a revolution.

At the time of the founding of the Union of Tanzania, on 26 Apri11964 Zanzibar was already under one party rule and mainland Tanzania had already formed a commission to look into the possibility of a one party structure. The Articles of Union provided for the existence of two parties, each operating in the territory in which they did before the union. This continued until 1977 when it was finally decided to merge the two parties and form one political party, the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), thus transforming Tanzania into a true one-party state.

In 1979 the first post-revolution constitution was enacted in Zanzibar. It established the House of Representatives. Elections for this body and also for the president of Zanzibar were to be held one year later in 1980. This was a typical one-party election in which the party chose a single candidate. All that was required of the electorate was to say yes or no to this candidate. Aboud Jumbe Mwinyi, who had taken over following the assassination of Karume, was confirmed as president of Zanzibar during these elections.

Another constitution with a bill of rights came into force in 1984. Chapter three of the 1984 Constitution of Zanzibar (Articles 11 to 25) contained all traditional rights and freedoms. These include the right to equality; equality before the law; the right to life; personal freedom; the right to privacy and security; freedom of movement; right to own property; freedom of conscience; freedom of association and assembly; right to work and right to a fair remuneration; and the right to participate in national affairs. This chapter also contained the duties of the individual. These include the duty to participate in public work; the duty to respect the law; the duty to protect public property; and certain limitations to the rights granted.

In 1985 another one-party election followed, in which Abdul Wakili Nombe was elected marginally. In 1990 the incumbent Salmin Amour Juma was given his first mandate. The 1990 elections were the last one-party elections in Zanzibar before the ushering of the multiparty era into the country in 1992.