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Coalition government could lessen problems in Zanzibar
2005-11-04 07:48:31
By Deogratias Mushi
The just ended elections in Zanzibar have given the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) another term of office to rule, though the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) has vowed not to cooperate with it.
CCM has won the elections for the third time consecutively, since the multiparty system was re-introduced in the country in the early 1990s.
What is unique in these elections is a crack that has been formed between Unguja and Pemba, and efforts should be made to repair it as soon as possible, to guarantee a better co-existence among the people living in the two Isles.
Pemba has now remained to be over 90 percent CUF base, with Unguja remaining to be dominated by CCM, save for one constituency in Old town area.
Pemba might be ungovernable, if CUF continues to insist that it won’t recognize Karume government.
According to press reports released after election results were announced, CUF is scheduled to meet soon to discuss among other things, the election irregularities committed during the voting day.
The same party will instruct its supporters and members about what actions must be taken.
No matter what CUF will decide, there won’t be any possibility of nullifying the results because the new president is already sworn-in, and currently he might be setting plans on how his new government should work.
Karume might also be drawing up his cabinet list, which will of course not include any CUF legislature, because CCM is not ready to share powers with the opposition.
Hamad refused to take part in the swearing –in ceremony of Karume on Wednesday saying his party won’t recognize the new government, and it won’t cooperate with it in any way.
The new Zanzibar government should know that the campaigns are over and now there is a need to bring closer the two Isles, irrespective of their political ideologies and affiliations.
The only way to do this is through a coalition government as it will be explained later.
Chairman of Tanzania Election Monitoring Committee (TEMCO) Professor Rwekaza Mukandala says that there is tension in Zanzibar and the new government has a tough and challenging task of repairing a ’crack’, which is politically setting apart the two Isles of Unguja and Pemba.
Mukandala says that the government, political parties and wananchi should cooperate together and see that the crack is completely repaired.
He proposes the idea of forming the government of national unity in Zanzibar to involve even members from the opposition parties, a concept which is not supported by president Amani Karume.
Speaking after being sworn-in, Karume bluntly ruled out the possibility of forming the government that will include members from opposition parties – a coalition government, assuring the public that he had capable people to work with.
He also said that Pemba wouldn’t be left behind in projects enhanced by his government.
But it is hard to see how the government of president Karume will work without a single minister from Pemba.
No matter how seriously he will be committed to the development of the area, wananchi in the same area might be able to recognize the achievements, simply because ’their sons or daughters’ are not working with the same government.
A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a cabinet in parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate.
Taking an example of Zanzibar, ministers would be appointed from both CCM and CUF to form a coalition government.
An advantage of such a government is that in times of crisis such as a war or a major economic or political crisis, political parties may form an all-party National Unity Government or Grand Coalition and plead for assistance.
This could be of a great help to African countries that face various socio-economic problems.
Political analysts say that cabinets based on a coalition with majority in the parliament ideally are more stable and long-lived than minority cabinets.
While the former are prone to internal struggles, they have less reason to fear votes of non-confidence, although majority governments based on a single party are usually even more stable as long as its majority can be maintained.
Countries that often have a coalition cabinet include the Nordic countries, the Benelux countries, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Israel and India.
In Africa, Kenya is currently experiencing some form of coalition government. The same situation is also being practised in Burundi.
Switzerland has been ruled by a loose coalition of the four strongest parties in parliament since 1959, called the ’Magic Formula’.
Sometimes a coalition government is also created in times of national difficulties or crises, for example during wartime, to give the government a high degree of political legitimacy and acceptability whilst also diminishing internal political strife.
To deal with a situation where no clear majorities appear, parties either form coalition cabinets, supported by a parliamentary majority, or minority cabinets which can consist of one or several parties.
A coalition can consist of any number of parties.
In the United Kingdom, coalition governments (known as National Governments) have since 1915 only been appointed at times of national crisis.
The most prominent was the National Government of 1931-1940.
It is at this juncture that president Karume and other CCM top officials should reconsider the possibility of forming a government of coalition in Zanzibar to avoid both internal and external problems.
After being sworn-in Zanzibar on Wednesday, Karume appealed to foreign donors to lift economic sanctions for Zanzibar, assuring that his government would exercise good governance.
To accelerate this, Karume should also show his willingness to include CUF in his new government, and this might make the donors release their aid to the Isles, which will eventually improve the living conditions of all the Zanzibaris, irrespective of their party ideologies, religion or race.
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