Arsonists set fire to a Zanzibari opposition leader’s home and protesters attempted to raid a voter registration centre, as violence flared months ahead of elections in the semi-autonomous archipelago.
The Zanzibar Electoral Commission suspended a voter registration drive on Monday in Zanzibar town, the Indian Ocean archipelago’s biggest town, to try to calm rising tensions between ruling and opposition party loyalists. The drive had begun on Sunday.
General elections in predominantly Muslim Zanzibar are scheduled for October 23, and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi, or Revolutionary Party, is expected to face a stiff challenge from the opposition Civic United Front. The ruling party labels opposition supporters Muslim secessionists, while the opposition says the ruling party represents only the interests of the mainland, which is largely Christian and animist.
But suspending the registration drive appeared to do little to ease tensions, and early on Tuesday, attackers used gasoline to set fire to the home of Civic United Front leader Abbas Muhunzi, said George Kizugutu, a senior police officer.
Muhunzi, his wife and five children escaped unhurt, although his elderly father was beaten by assailants with iron bars. Neighbours said the attackers were youths who wore red T-shirts and black trousers.
”It seems now Zanzibar is experiencing a kind of political bonfire,” said Muhunzi, a member of Zanzibar’s House of Representatives. He appealed to the government to intervene and end ”political thuggery” in Zanzibar before ”things get out of control”.
Later on Tuesday, more than 400 people attempted to invade a suburban registration centre, but were beaten back by police, said Rashid Ali Suluhu, an election officer.
Police were investigating the attempted arson and remained on ”alert” on Tuesday night, setting up roadblocks in some areas.
Zanzibar, which united with the mainland to form the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964, elects its own president and legislature.
The last vote, in 2000, was marred by irregularities, voter intimidation and politically motivated violence.
Ruling and opposition party supporters have since become decidedly more militant, with the government creating paramilitary militias to ensure order and the opposition reportedly establishing ”self-defence forces.”
In recent months, six people have been killed in political violence.
Riot police have taken to marching through Zanzibar town, singing martial songs in a show of force they say is meant to deter political violence, but opposition leaders see as an attempt to intimidate their supporters.
The police were recently deployed from mainland Tanzania, where most people are Christian. — Sapa-AP