News Zanzibar’s First VP Concludes UK Visit, Heads to US on International Tour

Zanzibar’s First Vice President, Othman Masoud Othman, left the United Kingdom on Wednesday for the United States as part of his international tour aimed at helping the world understand the political situation in Zanzibar and Tanzania ahead of the East African nation’s elections later this year.

During his tour of North America, Othman—who also serves as the national chairperson of the opposition ACT Wazalendo and the party’s candidate in Zanzibar’s October presidential election—is expected to visit Canada and hold talks with fellow leaders, as well as representatives of leading Canadian think tanks.

While in the UK, Othman met with Professor Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, at Marlborough House. There, he outlined his vision for Zanzibar’s future—one built on five key pillars: unwavering democratic values; good governance and uncompromising accountability; economic progress under the ‘Singapore of Africa’ vision; enhanced autonomy for Zanzibar within a just, equitable, and respectful Union; and national unity with enduring peace.

A statement released on Wednesday indicated that Mr Othman raised concerns over a flawed voter registration process and an unconstitutional two-day voting arrangement—a controversial practice in Zanzibar linked to allegations of vote rigging and even electoral violence.

“In some situations, you can be fined for reporting cases of election fraud, and voters are turned away from registering to vote,” he was quoted as saying. “It is the right of all citizens to have access to the voter registration list. We need to remove ghost voters from the voter registry and improve transparency in the Electoral Commission.”

During the discussion, Prof Franceschi noted that while engagement with Zanzibar’s electoral process is already underway, the Commonwealth Secretariat is awaiting an invitation from the mainland to further support democratic efforts across the region.

He said that he was committed to an ongoing dialogue with both Mr Othman and the government of Tanzania as Zanzibar’s election draws nearer.

Mr Othman also met with Dr Alex Vines, OBE, Director of the Africa Programme, and Tighisti Amare, the incoming Director at Chatham House, for discussions on ensuring free and fair elections, good governance, and inclusive economic development in Zanzibar.

“If you look at Zanzibar and Mauritius, we have similar population sizes and geographic areas, yet Mauritius’ GDP per capita is ten times larger than ours,” the First VP pointed out. “This is something we urgently need to address. We must ensure that investment in Zanzibar leads to shared prosperity – where we all feel the benefits.”

Chatham House reaffirmed its intention to increase its focus on Zanzibar specifically, within its broader engagement on Tanzania and the Union.

On June 17, Mr Othman met with Mehdi Hussain, acting Head of the East Africa Department at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The Vice President and Mr Hussain spoke about the importance of free and fair elections.

“Zanzibar is fundamentally a service-based economy, and as a result, corruption is especially ruinous,” Othman said. “Elections are not just a political event; their outcomes go to the heart of Zanzibar’s development and the lives of its people.”

Mr Hussain echoed the UK’s strong interest in transparent democratic processes, noting significant investments in Zanzibar’s roads and infrastructure and maintaining close ties with the islands, with over 42,000 British citizens visiting each year. He emphasised that ensuring a free, transparent and secure electoral process directly contributes to Zanzibar’s continued development and prosperity.