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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 DAR ES SALAAM 000578 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JTREADWELL; INR/RAA: FEHRENREICH; NSC FOR 
MGAVIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV PHUM TZ
SUBJECT: ZANZIBAR: KARUME BERATES AMBASSADORS ON JOINT STATEMENT 
 
REF: (A) Dar es Salaam 532 (B) Dar es Salaam 531 and (C) Dar es 
Salaam 517 and previous 
 
¶1. (U) BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY: Over the weekend following issuance 
of the August 13 Joint Statement by key donors on Zanzibar voter 
registration anomalies (ref B), FM Membe contacted heads of mission 
of signatory countries and "invited" them to Zanzibar to hear the 
views of Zanzibar Revolutionary Government (SMZ) President Karume. 
On August 17, representatives of the QFriends of 2010Q Group that 
drafted the Statement met to shore up a common position, and on 
August 18, Chiefs of Mission of Sweden (as EU President), the 
European Commission, Canada, Norway, the UK and the U.S. met with 
Karume and Membe.  During the week following the meeting, Zanzibar 
Affairs Officer and Specialist went to the island of Pemba to 
monitor the state of play and follow up on assertions made by the 
SMZ.  Tensions that resulted in violence leading up to the Joint 
Statement appear to have subsided for now.  Voter registration 
remains halted until agreement on a way forward among the parties 
can be reached on the fairness of the Zanzibar ID system.  END 
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY. 
 
FM MEMBE SUMMONS AMBASSADORS 
---------------------------- 
¶2.  (U) "Friends of 2010" Heads of Mission met on Zanzibar with SMZ 
President Karume August 18 at the invitation of FM Membe.  Membe 
opened the meeting by recalling that Karume had expressed his 
intention to President Kikwete to speak with the representatives of 
the countries sponsoring the Joint Statement in order to clarify 
certain points.  Acting on behalf of President Kikwete, FM Membe 
said his role was to set up the meeting.  He introduced Karume to 
each of the embassy representatives, and asked Karume to explain the 
Zanzibar ID system and to share his Qwisdom of the situation.Q  FM 
Membe made no other comment during the meeting, nor did he comment 
on substance during the lunch he hosted afterward. 
 
¶3.  (U) During the meeting, President Karume sat by himself in his 
QPresidential Chair,Q while a row of seats to his left held Membe 
and SMZ cabinet members and officials, including, inter alia, the 
SMZ spokesman, Chief of the QRevolutionary CouncilQ (a type of Chef 
de Cabinet), Minister of State in the Chief MinisterQs Office 
(overseeing ZEC and the ID Cards) and the ID Card Director, Mohammed 
Ame.  Seated in the row of chairs to KarumeQs right sat key members 
of the QFriendsQ group: Sweden, Canada, Norway, the U.S., UK and the 
European Commission. 
 
PRESIDENT KARUME VENTS 
---------------------- 
¶4.  (SBU) President Karume spoke first.  Zigzagging between pique 
and petulance, he took exception to references in the joint 
statement that implied there was any Union Government role in the 
registration and ID processes underway in Zanzibar.  He went through 
the text line-by-line, stopping at each point where QTanzaniansQ and 
QUnion Government of TanzaniaQ were mentioned vis-a-vis QZanzibaris 
and the QRevolutionary Government of Zanzibar (SMZ),Q offering 
arguments on each point.  He did not seem to take on board our 
intent to convey that there should not be any kind of QZanzibar 
exemptionQ to basic rights in Tanzania or that it was ultimately the 
responsibility of the Union government to guarantee the rights of 
all of its citizens, including Zanzibaris. 
 
¶5.   (SBU) Karume suggested the Joint Statement was a product of 
ignorance on the part of the QFriendsQQ regarding Zanzibar and the 
Union set-up.  QIf you knew this, I doubt you would have issued the 
statement,Q he said.  Distinction between authorities (he did not go 
into responsibilities and obligations) was essential to Zanzibar. 
QIt safeguards our nationhood; if you mess with the safeguards, you 
mess with the Union,Q he concluded. 
 
¶6.  (U) On the use of ID cards for voter registration, Karume said 
the purpose was to address long-held complaints of voter 
impersonation, double voting and other electoral fraud.  ID cards 
were a necessary, transparent and positive reform, he insisted. 
ZanzibarQs ID cards were an efficient, secure, tamper-proof form of 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000578  002 OF 005 
 
 
identification.  Moreover, he claimed, legislation on ID cards was 
passed through bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. 
Complaints from the opposition that qualified Zanzibaris were being 
denied cards were Qtotally unfounded,Q Karume said. 
 
¶7.  (U) Karume said he could back up his assertions by statistics, 
using the 2005 voting numbers for the four districts in northern 
Pemba and comparing them with current ID card issuance in the same 
areas: 
  2005 registered voters  2005 actual votes                   now 
registered for IDs 
 
CONDE :  8947    8179   9070 
 
MGOGONI: 8329    7835   8472 
(Karume noted that Mgogoni was the hometown of CUF leader Seif 
Sharif Hamad) 
 
MICHEWENI:  9779    9085   9554 
 
WETE:  10327    9362   10147 
 
Karume concluded that by looking at the numbers one could conclude 
that all who qualify for Zanzibari QcitizenshipQ were being issued 
IDs.  Complaints of the opposition were Qunfounded.  Everyone who 
was eligible to vote could vote. 
 
SWEDENQS STATEMENT 
------------------ 
¶8.  (U) Speaking as EU President on behalf of the EU partners, 
Sweden said both the statement and the current discussion were 
helpful activities, and it was important to keep up the dialogue. 
There were a few elements of common concern: it appeared that some 
people on the ground were being denied IDs; there was a complicated 
process to get an ID that might foster irregularities; the role of 
Shehas in the process was not transparent; and there was concern 
about the status of those denied an ID to vote.  Violence was also a 
concern.  We looked forward to improvements and would watch 
developments on the ground.  Ultimately, as friends, what we see is 
part of a broader political climate Q there was a need for genuine 
reconciliation between the political parties. 
 
CANADAQS STATEMENT 
------------------ 
¶9.  (U) Canada spoke on behalf of the non-EU friends (Japan, Norway, 
Canada and the U.S.).  Canada agreed with the points raised by 
Sweden, underscoring that the right to vote was fundamental.  The 
comments of the QFriendsQ were being made in the spirit of 
cooperation.  The Joint Statement was an early reaction by committed 
partners and should be seen in that constructive context.  Because 
at some point donors would be asked to comment on the 2010 
elections, there should be no surprises at our views or how they 
were formed.  Free and fair elections in 2010 might be a challenge, 
but ultimately it was the responsibility of the Union Government to 
guarantee the rights of all its citizens. 
 
U.S. INTERVENTION 
----------------- 
¶10.  (U) CDA Andre responded to KarumeQs assertion that there were 
no anomalies in Pemba and that the QFriendsQ were primarily reacting 
to false statements made by the opposition party.  The U.S. stated 
that our concerns were collectively formed through direct 
observation in the field.  Moreover, the U.S. was not the only 
country that was making these observations.  (NOTE: Norway pays for 
an NGO team of observers on Pemba.  The Norwegian CDA was at the 
Karume meeting but chose not to speak.  END NOTE.).   What we were 
seeing with our own eyes was a system that appeared to favor people 
who were committed to the ruling party.  They could get a card 
easily, while it might be harder or impossible for those perceived 
to be favorable to the opposition to get a card.  In some instances, 
those born and raised in Pemba were being denied Zanzibar IDs. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) CDA Andre related that in U.S. history there was a 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000578  003 OF 005 
 
 
QshamefulQ period in the past wherein basic freedoms of our Union 
Government were unevenly applied in the Southern part of our 
country, especially as regards voting rights.  We understood the 
QgameQ about the ID registration process and did not agree that it 
was being conducted fairly.   Sometimes the will at the top did not 
always transfer down to the bottom rungs of government.  We hoped 
there would be access to ID cards to all who qualify, but the issue 
was broader and concerned accessibility to the whole range of 
government services, not just the right to vote.  We held the Union 
ultimately responsible for guaranteeing liberties for all 
Tanzanians.  Ultimately, in Zanzibar, reconciliation between the 
parties was essential. 
 
KARUME REBUTTAL 
--------------- 
¶12. (U) Karume said those involved in the process who were saying it 
was unfair were Qcrazy.Q  Karume said that at the outset there might 
have been a few Qbottlenecks,Q but Q well before the Joint Statement 
Q as soon as there appeared to be a problem, he dealt with it.  The 
only problems seemed to have been in Wete, not in Micheweni or any 
other constituencies.  Karume said he called in the Wete Regional 
Commissioner, District Commissioners, the Director of IDs and all 
other relevant leaders to go through what the problems might be. 
 
¶13.  (U) He acknowledged there might have been an early problem of a 
shortage of available ID card application forms, but now the process 
had been simplified, and every Sheha had enough forms for eligible 
applicants.  Karume stressed that the key words were Qeligible 
applicants,Q not political parties.  There was an incident involving 
one QmisguidedQ Sheha who did not know Qthe proper method of giving 
out forms,Q but Qthis had been corrected.Q   Karume said it was his 
responsibility to ensure that every eligible Zanzibari must have the 
right to vote - not necessarily every Tanzanian in Zanzibar.  For 
all others, Karume said there were NEC offices in every district in 
Zanzibar. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Karume said that, on the surface, acquiring an ID card 
might seem complicated, but the whole process took only a week, from 
application to card issuance.  He had ID Card Director Mohammed Ame 
give details about the card issuance process.  Both Karume and Ame 
stressed that the problem lay with opposition CUF.  At the beginning 
of the ID issuance in 2005-2006, CUF boycotted the process.  During 
the early Qmass registration,Q more than 7,000 cards were issued but 
were never collected, including by senior CUF parliamentarians.  Not 
being issued a card and not picking up a card were two different 
matters.  Not bothering to register at all was yet another issue. 
There was a deliberate effort by the opposition to undermine the 
process. QPlease donQt cover for them [CUF],Q Karume said.  The real 
problem was that QCUF woke up too late to the reality of IDs [that 
would now limit its ability to pad the voter list with fraudulent 
supporters], and now they want us to meet their demands. 
 
¶15. (U) On the role of Shehas in the process, Karume said they were 
essential.  Zanzibar, though small in area, had 50 constituencies. 
On an island were Qeveryone knows everyone,Q Shehas were 
instrumental in keeping track of Qwho comes in and who goes out. 
Shehas Qknow what theyQre supposed to do,Q Karume asserted. 
 
¶16. (SBU) Sweden made several efforts to draw Karume out on what 
specific changes he might be prepared to make on the ground to bring 
back on board those who were rejected when applying for IDs. 
Karume insisted that all the right tools were in place.  In his 
view, observers should give the process time and hold those who 
would obstruct the process responsible for any problems. 
 
¶17. (SBU) Several times Karume suggested that the complaints by the 
QFriends GroupQ were merely echoes of CUF, a charge rebutted by the 
U.S. every time it was made.  At one point, when responding to a 
warning by President Karume to beware of self-serving statements 
made by the opposition party, CDA Andre reminded that we "carefully 
weigh statements made by both parties,Q to which an exasperated 
Karume shouted, QI am not a party, I am the Administration!Q  By the 
end of the encounter, Karume even went as far as suggesting that the 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000578  004 OF 005 
 
 
QFriends GroupQ should vet any statement with the QAdministration 
prior to Qrunning to the press.Q  At the meeting's conclusion, 
during the goodbye handshakes, CDA told President Karume that the 
issue was being followed in the U.S. at the level of the White 
House. 
 
AFTERMATH 
--------- 
¶18.  (U) PRESS: The Joint Statement was covered broadly in mainland 
press (front page news for most dailies) and editorials have been 
sympathetic for the most part, particularly in the Swahili language 
print media Nipashe and Mtanzania.  By contrast, the CCM-controlled 
newspaper Zanzibar Leo (the only daily published on the islands) 
neither ran the statement nor even quoted from it.  Yet, for several 
days, Zanzibar Leo ran vituperative responses to the Joint 
Statement.   Following the meeting between Heads of Mission and 
President Karume, national media took the positive spin offered by 
FM Membe, that anomalies were being addressed by the SMZ and all who 
were qualified would get their cards.  The August 19 headline in 
Zanzibar Leo, however, was QDr. Karume Educates Diplomats.Q  In the 
same issue were other stories about Q7849 uncollected ID cardsQ and 
warnings of possible opposition perfidy.  There also was an unusual 
full page Qnews analysisQ bylined by QMohammed Juma,Q allegedly 
reporting from Pemba.  The QanalysisQ directly criticized QEU 
diplomats,Q and suggested the Joint Statement violated the Vienna 
Convention on Diplomatic Relations.  The author called for the 
diplomats to Qextend an apologyQ to Zanzibaris.  He warned against 
using development assistance Qas a gateway to defame and degrade 
Tanzanians.Q  A U.S. inquiry with the Zanzibar Leo office in Pemba 
and with the SMZ Information Office in Pemba revealed no local 
knowledge of QMohammed Juma.Q  Nonetheless, local radio stations 
(the number one source of information in Zanzibar) read out the 
statement or summarized it and covered the commentary of the 
mainland press. 
 
¶19. (U) NEC/ZEC: Following a meeting in Pemba between ZEC and CUF 
held at about the same time as our QFriendsQ meeting with Karume, 
CUF decided not to participate in any registration process based on 
Zanzibar IDs unless the ID application process is changed.  On 
August 25 ZEC released a press statement saying it could not proceed 
with registration until there was a political settlement on the ID 
issue.  On August 29 ID Director Ame responded with a broadside 
against ZEC, denying any problems with the ID process and calling 
ZEC Qincompetent.Q  Meanwhile, to follow-up on KarumeQs claim that 
the National Electoral Commission (NEC) was protecting the rights of 
those denied under the Zanzibari system (ZEC), we visited every 
District in Pemba.  There were no NEC staff present (although we saw 
locked or abandoned offices marked for NEC use).  We are still 
investigating NECQs role in Zanzibar for 2010. 
 
20 (U) ID PROCESS:  It appears that the specific issue of lack of ID 
forms at the Sheha level had been addressed for the most part, 
although there still remained complaints about the ShehasQ partisan 
role in the process.  The issue of birth certificates and the 
various complaints about impediments for first-time would-be ID 
registrants continue.  The registration of youths as adults still 
seems to be occurring. 
 
¶21. (U) We have seen thousands of unclaimed ID cards at every 
District center, where none had been just two weeks ago.  However, 
among the populace there remains some confusion about the 
availability of IDs for those who have already applied.  CUF has 
been slow to respond to this development, and leadership seems to 
have issued no guidance for CUF cadres as to whether they will 
assist their supporters to claim the IDs they heretofore had 
complained were unavailable.  We saw some approved ID applicants 
show their receipts and claim their IDs that for whatever reason had 
been unclaimed for years.  Meanwhile, we also listened to others 
complain that they were being asked to produce more documents before 
they could collect their IDs.  Others complained that CUF officers 
had collected their receipts as Qevidence of CCM meddlingQ and 
hadnQt returned them. 
 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000578  005 OF 005 
 
 
¶22. (SBU) The ID centers in Pemba are now swamped with dozens (if 
not hundreds) of new applicants daily, now that application forms 
seem more plentiful.  To address this, ID centers have devised a 
neighborhood-by-neighborhood process by which applicants can come to 
collect their cards, and this system seems to be of some utility. 
ID Card Chief Ame said there is an appeals process.  There exists a 
form (QForm 4Q) by which applicants can air grievances about all 
aspects of the process, including direct complaints about Shehas and 
District Commissioners.  It is against the law for anyone to 
obstruct or manipulate the ID process.  Theoretically, the form is 
to be sent directly to the ID HQ in Unguja, and Ame said he would 
review each one personally.  When asked, ID Center workers were 
aware of the form, but none were on display (even after multiple 
visits to ID offices over several days).  On the ground, few people 
(including CUF cadres) know about the form, and we know of no 
appeals made so far.  On obtaining birth certificates or, for those 
born before 1964, swearing affidavits that no birth certificate 
existed, there was confusion on the ground as to how this might be 
done.  Converting a Qregistration of birthQ document (that most 
people seem to have) into a Qbirth certificateQ (the only paper 
accepted by the ID Center) is a one-to-two month process, if all 
goes correctly.  Obtaining paperwork from scratch might be more 
problematic.  We have yet to see first-hand how older ID applicants 
have obtained affidavits, although we have talked to dozens of older 
men denied a card due to lack of documentation. 
 
¶23. (U) Meanwhile, we have seen hundreds of Pemban ID cards 
apparently issued during Qmass registrationQ (circa 2005-06) that 
feature only a year for date of birth and QxQsQ for month and day. 
Complaints of youth being registered as adults persist, and we have 
talked to a couple of people issued cards who admitted to us they 
were underage.  Both CUF and CCM claim that each side has imported 
people from the nearby mainland city of Tanga to pad the process, 
but we have seen no evidence of this. 
 
¶24. (U) OTHER OBSERVATIONS:  The week of August 17 SMZ Education 
Minister Haroun visited Pemba to speak to school administrators and 
community leaders and urge them not to push underage school children 
into the political process.  He also tamped down growing local panic 
that ID cards would be required for advanced education exams. On 
August 26, representatives of the (national) Commission on Human 
Rights and Good Governance went to Pemba to look into the ID 
issuance process. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶25. (SBU) In Pemba, almost everyone with whom we spoke commented 
favorably on the Joint Statement.  Many credited it with giving 
cover for an extension of the Qtime outQ in order for ZEC and others 
to hold more discussions with the various players in the Pemba 
registration/ID process.  Tensions that resulted in violence leading 
up to the Joint Statement appear to have subsided for now, although 
they could flare up immediately should any one side take any 
unilateral action.  It appears that our Joint Statement lessened 
frustration on the island, reassuring Zanzibaris that recent events 
were not occurring in a vacuum, hidden from outside eyes.  It served 
to reassure that the international community cared about the 
fairness of elections in Tanzania and assuaged some cynics that 
donors were not acquiescent to any Zanzibari Government 
heavy-handedness. 
 
ANDRE