I have no doubt that the Shamte family some of whom are still residing in Tanzania have another version of this story. So the parties with the fewest popularvote took power.If… only and if … only and if … only, there was fairsharing of power, how many lives would have been saved and how differentour history would be today.Ali would do well to remember that ASP was anamalgamation of the African and Shirazi political parties.Shirazis are Zanzibari’sof Persian origins, who do not consider themselves strictly speaking as “Africans."Zanzibar is much more complex than Arabs vs.Africans.This narrative is far too simplistic, serves no one but CCM andis normally recited by people who clearly know very little about Zanzibar.
Kambi moja ni ile ya wenye siasa za wastani waliopendelea kushiriki katika uchaguzi na ile ya pili ni ile ya wenye msimamo mkali waliotaka uchaguzi ususiwe kabisa. TANU ilinusurika na kile ambacho kingeweza kuwa mgogoro ndani ya chama ambao ungewafanya wale wenye msimamo mkali kama Sheikh Suleiman Takadir, Mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Wazee wa TANU katika makao makuu, na Zuberi Mtemvu, wakati huo katibu mwenezi wa TANU, kufanya mapinduzi ambayo yangekigawa chama kama isingelikuwa busara ya Julius Nyerere, Rais wa TANU na mkakati wa siri alioupanga na viongozi wa TANU Tanga, Mwalimu Kihere na Sheikh Rashid Sembe.