Opposition in Zanzibar says candidate detained, people shot ahead of polls

The U.S. ambassador called for calm and urged the security forces to show restraint as semi-autonomous Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania hold their presidential and parliamentary votes. The ACT-Wazalendo party said in a statement on Tuesday that those killed had been attempting to stop the army from distributing boxes on Monday that they suspected contained pre-ticked ballots.

An opposition presidential candidate in Zanzibar has been detained after trying to vote early and five people have been shot dead by security forces ahead of elections on Wednesday, his party said. The U.S. ambassador called for calm and urged the security forces to show restraint as semi-autonomous Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania hold their presidential and parliamentary votes.

The ACT-Wazalendo party said in a statement on Tuesday that those killed had been attempting to stop the army from distributing boxes on Monday that they suspected contained pre-ticked ballots. The party said nine other people were injured. Police said they had no information of any deaths. The party said police fired teargas at the people and then "resorted to live ammunition". It said Seif Sharif Hamad was detained at a polling station after going to cast his ballot in advanced voting.

A former first vice president for Zanzibar, Hamad, has previously run unsuccessfully for the archipelago's top job since 1995. He is seen as the main challenger against front-running Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Tanzania's ruling CCM party. Tanzania's head of police Simon Sirro told reporters he had received no information about any deaths, but said some youths had been arrested after an incident in Pemba, in Zanzibar.

"Yesterday in Pemba there were youths who started violence when we were offloading ballot boxes, they started throwing stones," he said. Awadh Juma Haji, a police commander in Zanzibar, told Reuters that Hamad was being questioned at police headquarters "because he is not among the persons who are supposed to vote today".

The Zanzibar archipelago has a history of contentious elections that in the past have deteriorated to violence. In one such episode in 2001, more than 35 people died. U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Donald Wright tweeted his alarm over "reports from Zanzibar and elsewhere of violence, deaths, and detentions".

"It's not too late to prevent more bloodshed! Security forces must show restraint, and the NEC (National Electoral Commission) & ZEC (Zanzibar Electoral Commission) must carry out their duties with integrity," he said. On the mainland, President John Pombe Magufuli, whose government is accused of muzzling political dissent and independent media - accusations officials deny - is widely expected to win over his rival, Tundu Lissu, and secure another five year term. 

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