Tanzania: Civic United Front (CUF), including leadership and structure; treatment of members in the 2015 election period (2015-March 2016)

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Background Information and Leaders

The Political Handbook of the World 2015 (PHW) states that the Civic United Front (CUF), also known as the People's Party Chama Cha Wananchi, is a Tanzanian opposition party founded in late 1991 by former NCCR-Mageuzi [National Convention for Constitution and Reform-Mageuzi [1]] leader James Mapalala (PHW 2015, 1440). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to the CUF's website, the party describes itself as the "most diverse and dynamic party in Tanzania," which supports Zanzibar sovereignty, and is represented in all "major parts" of the country, "that is, in Mainland Tanzania and in Zanzibar, in Unguja and Pemba" (CUF n.d.). The same source indicates that the party's goal is to "fight poverty and create jobs by growing the economy" (ibid.).

Sources list the following individuals as the leaders of the party:

Sources describe Seif Sharif Hamad [Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad (Tanzania Daily News 2 Mar. 2016)] as the CUF leader (ibid.; PHW 2015, 1440) or General Secretary and Candidate for President of Zanzibar in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 (ibid.);

Sources indicate that Ibrahim Lipumba serves as the CUF's National Chairman (The Citizen 21 May 2015; Africa Confidential 23 Oct. 2015), as well as Candidate for President of Tanzania in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 (PHW 2015, 1440);

Machano Khamis Ali as Vice Chair of the party (ibid.);

Nassor Ahmed Mazrui as Deputy Secretary General (Tanzania Daily News 26 Feb. 2016); and

Hamad Masoud Hamad as Director of Mass Communication (ibid.).

The PHW indicates that in the October 2010 elections, Lipumba placed third in polling for president of Tanzania, and Hamad placed second in balloting for president of Zanzibar [2] (PHW 2015, 1441). Sources indicate that the Tanzania National Assembly (Bunge) comprises 239 members (IFES n.d.; PHW 2015, 1443) and the Zanzibar House of Representative is composed of 75 members (ibid.). The PHW reports that in 2010 elections, CUF secured 24 seats in the Tanzania National Assembly and 22 seats in the Zanzibar House of Representatives (ibid.).

Information on the structure of the CUF could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. 2015 Elections

According to sources, Tanzania held its general elections on 25 October 2015 (EU 27 Oct. 2015, 3; The Washington Post 1 Nov. 2015; Africa Review 15 Jan. 2016). According to the Washington Post, the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, Party of the Revolution) retained the presidency (The Washington Post 1 Nov. 2015). Sources indicate that CCM presidential candidate John Magufuli won 58.5 percent of the vote (ibid.; IFES n.d.).

The Washington Post notes that Zanzibar simultaneously held its own presidential elections and CUF candidate Seif won the Zanzibar presidency with 53 percent of the vote over the CCM candidate Ali Mohamed Shein, who captured 47 percent of the vote (1 Nov. 2015).

However, sources report that the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) commissioner annulled the October 2015 Zanzibar elections (Mail and Guardian Africa with AFP 28 Oct. 2015; Tanzania Daily News 25 Feb. 2016; The Washington Post 1 Nov. 2015). Sources explain that the Zanzibar general elections were annulled after fraud allegations (Daily News 7 Mar. 2016; Tanzania Daily News 25 Feb. 2016). An article published in the Mail and Guardian Africa, a Pan-African news agency (Mail and Guardian Africa n.d.), with Agence France-Presse (AFP), notes that, according to the ZEC chairman, nullification of the polls was due to "violations," such as "double-voting, vote tampering and cheating, at some polling stations, especially in Pemba island" (Mail and Guardian Africa with AFP 28 Oct. 2015). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to sources, the re-run Zanzibar elections are scheduled to take place on 20 March 2016 (Tanzania Daily News 2 Mar. 2016; Daily News 7 Mar. 2016). Daily News reports that the CUF opposes the re-run elections claiming that their candidate, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, was victorious in the previous polls and should therefore "be sworn-in as the new Zanzibar president" (ibid.). Reuters similarly states that CUF "called for a boycott of a planned re-run of disputed presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections" to be held in Zanzibar on 20 March 2016 (Reuters 29 Jan. 2016). According to CUF, a "dialogue to form a government of all parties under its leadership should be held rather than a new vote" (ibid.).

2.1 Treatment of CUF Members Before the 2015 Elections

According to sources, the following incidents concerning CUF members occurred prior to the elections of 2015:

The Citizen, a Tanzanian newspaper, reports that on 27 January 2015, police used "excessive and unnecessary" force when dispersing a CUF march held in Temeke District to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the killing of 21 party members in Zanzibar (The Citizen 21 May 2015). According to the same source, CUF's national chairman, Ibrahim Lipumba, was arrested along with 43 party members and supporters who were charged with "incitement and illegal assembly" during the march (ibid.). The Minister of Home Affairs defended police actions, stating that "supporters were arrested for defying a lawful police order requiring them to disperse after their march" (ibid.). As of May 2015, the case was pending (ibid.).

A press release of the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG), an "Independent Government Department" that aims to promote and protect human rights in Tanzania (CHRAGG n.d.), reports that 25 members of the CUF were attacked, beaten and injured by unknown people in Makunduchi, Kusini Unguja District on 29 March 2015 (ibid. 31 Mar. 2015).

Further or corroborating information on the incidents could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.2 Treatment of CUF Members Since the 2015 Elections

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a senior lecturer of development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, whose research focuses on the politics and history of development processes in sub-Saharan Africa, gave the opinion that

there is not much evidence of CUF members being targeted by state security services or others since the [2015] elections, and whilst the rhetoric is at times heated between negotiating politicians, the government has been quite careful not to stoke tensions. Whether this continues in the run-up to the new poll is a different matter. (Senior Lecturer 7 Mar. 2015)

The Senior Lecturer further noted that, based on information available to him, specific instances of detention or ill treatment may have occurred, but it "may be more difficult" to show that this was "systematic and generalized for all CUF supporters" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Sources report on the following incidents involving CUF members after the 2015 elections:

The Washington Post reported on 1 November 2015 that, since the annulment of the elections results, "tensions have been rising" in Zanzibar (The Washington Post 1 Nov. 2015). CUF supporters "have taken to the streets" in Zanzibar and some youth were allegedly arrested (ibid.).

Without providing details, The Washington Post reports that there were explosions in Mkunazini and nine homes were burned in the northern Ungujan town of Tumbatu (ibid.). The same article quotes CUF sources as stating that, as of 31 October 2015, 29 homes and one mosque had been burned, and 16 people had been injured (ibid.).

Tanzania Daily News indicates that, on 31 January 2016, the CUF's Kimwani Councillor in Muleba District of Kagera Region was killed by unknown people (Tanzania Daily News 29 Feb. 2016). The same source quotes the Kagera Regional Police Commander as indicating that three suspects were involved in police investigations and that motives for the killing were unknown as of 29 February 2016 (ibid.). In an interview with the newspaper, dated 29 February 2016, CUF's acting National Chairperson appealed to the Police Force to speed up the investigation, stating that some of the suspects were still "at large" (ibid.).

Tanzania Daily News reports that, according to the CUF's leader Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, the "police force has continued to harass the opposition following the summoning of the CUF Deputy Secretary General Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui" (ibid. 2 Mar. 2016). Another member of the party was summoned in 2015 "before he was taken into custody, linking him with a video clip containing insults to President Ali Mohamed Shein" (ibid.). The Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation of the police was quoted by the newspaper as saying that "'anybody can be summoned by the police for questioning on some allegations'" (ibid.).

Daily News reports that in March 2016 several houses used by CUF supporters were burned "in a suspected hate crime" in Unguja and Pemba Island (Daily News 7 Mar. 2016). The Citizen also indicates that on 7 March 2016, CUF property in Pemba and Unguja were set on fire (The Citizen 7 Mar. 2016). CUF's Deputy Secretary General, who was quoted by the Daily News, stated that the houses "contained many properties including important documents and furniture" (Daily News 7 Mar. 2016). The same source quotes the Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations of the police as stating that several people were questioned in regards to the incidents (ibid.).

Further or corroborating information on the incidents could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] According to the PHW, the "NCCR-Mageuzi was formed in the first half of 1991 as an outgrowth of the Steering Committee for a Transition Towards a Multiparty System, a broad-based organization comprising leading business owners and lawyers as well as political dissidents and student activists" (PHW 2015, 1441).

[2] The PHW explains that the president of Tanzania is elected for no more than two five-year terms (PHW 2015, 1437). The same source indicates that on 13 October 1979, a "new constitution for Zanzibar was promulgated by its Revolutionary Council" (ibid.). Furthermore, "under the new system, designed to provide 'more democracy' without contravening the union constitution of Tanzania, the president of Zanzibar is directly elected for a five-year term and held to a maximum of two successive terms" (ibid.). The Washington Post reports that "elections in Tanzania are made up of two sets of elections; in addition to voting for Tanzanian president and parliamentary offices, the semiautonomous archipelago Zanzibar has its own president, legislature and electoral body - the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC)" (The Washington Post 1 Nov. 2015).

References

Africa Confidential. 23 October 2015. "CCM Faces Close Vote." [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016]

Africa Review. 15 January 2016. "Civic United Front Asks Pope to Intervene in Zanzibar Impasse (Tanzania)." (Factiva)

The Citizen. 7 March 2016. Salma Said. "Tanzania: Arson Sets Zanzibar in State of Panic." (Factiva)

_____. 21 May 2015. "Police Brutalised CUF Officials: Rights Commission." [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]

Civic United Front (CUF). N.d. "What We Stand For." [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]

Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG). 31 March 2015. Press Release: CHRAGG Condemns the Killing of Policemen and Injuring of Members of CUF. [Accessed 9 Mar. 2016]

_____. N.d. "Organisation Background." [Accessed 9 Mar. 2016]

Daily News. 7 March 2016. Issa Yussuf. "Isles Police on Alert After Torching Incident." [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]

European Union (EU). 27 October 2015. Election Observation Mission. Preliminary Statement: Highly Competitive, Generally Well-organised Elections, but with Insufficient Efforts at Transparency from the Election Administrations. [Accessed 10 Mar. 2016]

International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). N.d. "United Republic of Tanzania - Election for President." Election Guide. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]

Mail and Guardian Africa with Agence France-Presse (AFP). 28 October 2015. "Blows, Tears and Jeers as Zanzibar Vote Cancelled in Tanzania Polls; Opposition Wants Entire Election Scrapped." [Accessed 9 Mar. 2016]

_____. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]

Political Handbook of the World (PHW). 2015. "Tanzania." Edited by Tom Lansford. Washington, DC: CQ Press. [Accessed 5 Mar. 2016]

Reuters. 29 January 2016. "Tanzania Opposition Says to Boycott Zanzibar Vote Re-run." (Factiva)

Senior Lecturer, School of Oriental Studies and African Studies, University of London. 7

March 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Tanzania Daily News. 2 March 2016. Ashery Mkama. "CUF Vows to Abscond From Kijitoupele By-election." (Factiva)

_____. 29 February 2016. Meddy Mulisa. "CUF Wants Killers Rounded Up." (Factiva)

_____. 26 February 2016. Issa Yussuf. "Zanzibar Police Hunt for Gang that Torched CUF Branch Offices." (Factiva)

_____. 25 February 2016. Issa Yussuf. "Zanzibar Vows to Maintain National Unity Government." (Factiva)

The Washington Post. 1 November 2015. Keith Weghorst. "In Zanzibar, Democracy, Peace and Unity Are at Stake After Annulled Elections." (Factiva)

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Academics at the US Naval Academy and Vanderbilt University; Civic United Front.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; British Broadcasting Corporation; Thecommonwealth.org; ecoi.net; Freedom House; The Guardian; Human Rights Watch; Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction; International Federation for Human Rights; IRIN; Tanzania Today; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Department of State.