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11/6/1957 - The Zanzibar Elections by Smith Hempstone Jr.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT ORLD AFFAIRS SH November The Zanzibar Elections Zanzibar Hotel Zanzibar Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Rogers The leadership Zanzibar struggle government rested Arab rather African shoulders This struggle first Arab Association recently Nationalist Party Sheikh Ali Nuhsin Barwani Ali uhsin Zanzibar comes prestigious family studied agriculture Nakerere Collage Uganda travlled Europe returned island sultanate become government official Department Agriculture Since leaving government published weekly ALI NJHSIN BARWANI newspaper directed various conercial agricultural Defeat sheikh ventures served nominated unofficial member Zanzibar Legislativ Council He along eight other Arab leaders charged sedition possession seditious articles found guilty sentenced peace As result trial Arab members Legco resigned plumped harder their political goals Which Connuon elections adult suffrage basis An unofficial majority Legco Representation Executive Council Introduction ministerial system government SH Not Zanzibar Arabs backed Ali Muhsin Some feared given common adult frage sultanate Africans would swamp polls Zanzibar traditional Arab leaders But Ali Muhsin worked talked eloquently Convinced Arabs unity essential first attaining determination Those remained unconvinced solation knowing Africans themselves split groups indigenous Shirazis believe themselves descended Persians mainland Africans either brought Zanzibar recent centuries slaves immigrants This Protectorate Government granted Ali Muhsin small slice sought elections twelve unofficial members Legco Government members retains majority The elections history making first common elections East Cen South Africa To qualify restricted years literate under earning equivalent subject Sultan The proviso eliminated Europeans Indians aimed keeping trans mainland Africans foreign crews voting The seats contested follows Zanzibar Arab Stone Town African Ngambo rural North Zanzibar rural South Zanzibar North South Pemba Zanzibar sister island Placed charge supervisor elections white haired J C Penney retired colonial civil servant British member mixed commission which organized elections Sudan I found Penney Creek Road offices He Our biggest getting people voting rolls We starting scratch course If ohammed Tewfik lived Portu guese Street Stone Town political parties challenge voted And convince people eligible If children decent house enough eXtra pocket pretty obvious enough income qualify But often prove And people intended Sultan It telling Sultan secure running Anyway registration found SH Zanzibar inhabitants eligible Indians Were knocked because weren subjects Sultan Two events happened which raised temperature campaigning fever pitch The first place ebruary Tanganyika firebrand Julius Nyerere SH visited Zanzibar Three arrival African Shirazi groups buried hatchet agreed bined ticket Zanzibar agreed disagree Pemba Although Nyerere addressed first meeting Afro Shirazi party February denied talking engineered consolidation parties Other Afro hirazi leaders credit however The merger parties placed elections squarely racial basis The event place almost election Government operated Tanganyika Broad casting Corporation aired series historical talks lining Arab slavers East Africa The broad casts Svhili heard Zanzibar Ali uhsin protested damage there To emphasize party racial position All uhsin declined fairly Stone Town instead decided African Ngmbo against Abeid Anane Karume Afro Shirazi coalition The Nationalist party struck imperialism expensive alien civil service wanted Zanzibar within Coronwealth Karume other Afro Shirazi candidates their constituents determination would later British teach enough level With Arabs dominate The Nationlist appealed Afro Shirazi emphasized racialism When votes counted eligible voted Ali uhsin Nationalist party taken terrible thumping polls seats their opponents This candidates tituency fared Ngambo Karume Afro Shirazi Ali uhsin Nationalist Stone Town Chowdhary fhslim Association Bulsara Nationalist ZanZibar North notes Afro Shirazi candidate handily Nationalist H N Juma Zanzibar South Tajo Afro Shirazi Amur Zahor ationalist SH Shirazi defeaSed Ahumani ationalis Pemba South Hamadi Shirazi Rashid All Nationalist So Afro Shirazi coalition three seats Shirazis seats uslim Association Nationalists fought electien years 0contemplate donut It against background having political stuffings kicked party Ali Nuhsin young Abdul Rahman Babu ohammed Zanzibar Hotel Babu although Zanzibar situation having turned weeks after seven years study Britain London University philosophical about situation After Afro Shirazis racial people dancing But eventually The portant thing Zanzibar elections And BABU Nationalist Part boycott Legco bunch elections The people danced Zanzibar They In Zanzibaris accept regardless Until working But principal purpose political achieve political power complished That helping Ali uhsin Ve reorgani Nationalist Party effective ro0ts level through candidates offer press build circulation caliber All weekly wongozi Guide Come paper iOhsin there The wongozi offices located three ramshackle house behind Roman Catholic cathedral In front Ali uhsin Babu Ahmed Self Kharusi Ali uhsin other associate write distribute tabloid In middle groans ancient press sticks other printers paraphernalia Pasted walls three rooms pictures ofNasser Ghandi Nehru Jomo Kenyatta Hitler Anita Ekberg I think taste Babu I What roared noise press I I think lection He looked barrassed moment You somebody I He grinned Partioularly Ekberg Ali Muhsin pulled Fiat station wagon wpgozi He moved place Residency His tawny pretty thing greeted brought coffee She speaks English doesn purdah All European guests Ali Nuhsin asked after friend former Institute fellow David Reed produced The Federalist which David It inscribed I believe David Swahili Then businesS Ali We weren really disappointed election rsults After candidates polled O00 votes candidates Afro Shirazi party government allowing questionable registrations In Ngambo alone challenged registrations challenges sustained There telling slipped throuh I think there question about Nyerere influence bringing about coalition between Afric Shirazi parties And something those slavery broadcasts I think though It probably fortunate timing But atleast election fighting these years And proper thing keeping racialis_ canpaig It question simple realism idealism We unity going amount anything fricns Shirazis Arabs We Zanzibaris first Look Babu Do think Arab Of course He Zanzibari British clsssified Arab No election We through Our platform remain governent unite ultan territory means coastal strip Kenya Britain Sultan strip which includesombasa universal adult suffrage elections within three years unofficial Legco majority elected members Legco Exco ZnzibariZa Civil service bottom better education public housing We always opposed racialism imperialism The changes organization policy Our cation We people understand Zanzibar We going organize youth clubs stair interest civic affairs We going closer people better arume cor_e And Zanzibar You believe I asked Truly Babu nothing either smoked All uhsin strict uslim approve smoking drinking The following morning I looking V S wretched Babu calls Patel claim inanced Afro Shirazi coalition There little doubt there connection between Afro Shirazis Hindu traders association which Patel president previous evening latter given garden party which I attended celebrating Afro Shirazi victory There cream speeches That wretched Patel looks power behind throne His lusterless hangs frame fitting There appears flesh between former stretched tightly forehead The total His cheeks sunken effect creates impression talkihg couple I found dingy office Portuguese St working ledgers He declined cigarette slammed books drifted cluttered after waving rickety chair beside He called glass water which drained accompaniment gymnastics apple The young brought water parently produced orange squash chair corner began He Bombay years I would He worked there clerk Zanzibar young teach Then ournalist later isurance agent trade He president Indian iational Association years The Association explained members because member family could belong These course represented business interests island He estimated about Zanzibar Indians eligible H denied having financed Afro Shirazi party admitted other Indians delighted election outcome The Nationalist Party Arab The their membership African I lieve Even All uhsin dominated party since formation months continue Ali uhsin wants quickly There problems which solved before Zanzibar become independent Britain colonial powers She allow develop along rational lines She teach AfriCan footing Arab We Indian connunity interested politics All about right peace He nodded toward corner See Abeid Karume I thanked followed winding stairs Jubilee Gardens I climbed rickshaw something rickshaw straightened tendons bulging I warned Abeid Karume garden party I coming around sitting street front Ngambo house talking friends He forward greet The first impression Karume tremendous strength He average His _orearms would credit height built tuoooat All American lineman His knotted corded muscle supports rather small massive He sports thick mustache under flaring nostrils His small almost clingclosely His which beginning little recedes temples His relatively certain amount mixture Arab blood His suggest cunning rather wisdom He quick laugh walks muscle bound sugges years physical strength Karume years could years younger His mother slave brought ABEID ANANE KARUNE Victory SH Zanzibar Euanda Urundi He eight miles Ngambo eight years struggled through sixth grade wentto fifteen AS seaman ships several lines called ports world I India Nalaya England America Australia France places England I visited times country Karume speaks little English almost illiterate boatswain retired following syndicate motor boats Zanzibar harbor His influence docks presi dency Afro Shirazi ition formation He color yellow which dominates macula clean house which walls yellow furniture covered yellow curtains yellow There books evidence The whole centered around powerful radio I listen music everything Karume explained people remember slave under Arabs British remain until Africans capable directing their affairs His estimate fifteen twenty years I asked about Nyerere getting Africans Shirazis together about rumors Indian financing Nr Nyerere spoke listened He should together We The ndians money But loaned garries lorries around And advised They Arabs Was there achieving unity between Afro Shirazi party Nationalist Party We Arabs As ckshaw pulled hotel I dered about relati strengths parties When reached hotel rickshaWman refused money Not Karume He great The importance incidents course greatly overrated But Karum impressed native ability strength would dynamic appeal primitive people Ali uhsim other intellect appeals rather emotions The blows across Zanzibar channel East Africa these contains passion reason And Babu people dancing heard