Free and Fair!
"Free and Fair!" This is what some election observers want the world to believe that the 2005 General Election in Zanzibar was, as they put it, "Free and Fair!". In the presence of documented evidence of multiple voting, massaged voters registration, manipulated results, and excessive use of force, these observers cannot change the history.
In response to the celebrated conclusion of their reports, the following two poems sum it all. We hope you will have a pleasant reading!
Free and Fair!
When they hear - the three words
"Free and Fair" - the report reads
They dance, they sing
Not a chance, for a swing!
Its free and fair! - so goes the front page
Let the fireworks flare - forget the losers' rage
They preach, they brag
Not a glitch, not a gag!
Its time for celebrations - to hell with the masses
Forget their ululations - thanks to our voters in buses
To some, its a quest for democracy
For them, its a feast for hypocrisy
Its the appraisal - they had cultivated
Its business as usual - and nothing unexpected
They believe, its sensation
We think, its deception!
Invite them to observe - give them turf to tread
Tell them that we reserve - the outcome well ahead
Credible? to who?
Laughable? to you!
Its rather tragic - for those fighting for a cause
What's the logic - for an applause
"Free and Fair", shed my tears
Despair, as my hope disappears!
My viewpoint, whats yours?
Kassim Ali
December 28, 2005
Free and Fair! - Follow-up...
Kassim you are right, free and fair they never were
thirtieth October 'twas, a day that took ticking long to arrive
at dawn they rose, zanzibaris in droves they came
through polls many spoke, yet many more dared shout
by noon the message spread over, loud and very clear
the masses had spoken, enough was enough!
enough is enough! in echo, shook the powers that were
in the lully polling afternoon, serenity took an ugly twist
violence and more violence, at polling stations reigned
imekuwaje people wondered, amid running battles of chase
then came the scene, an ugly scene of cheat
in truckloads they were dumped, countless more were bussed
soiled and half bare, poverty hit aliens they undoubtedly were
for a pittance or so, they were queued up to supposedly vote
all told and done, now came the time to count
this, that and the other, some forms and signatories went amiss
counts that never tallied, yet the message was still aloud
enough was mouthfully enough, lets have a new beginning
together lets march, on course for a cause
throne or no throne, little does it matter
zanzibar is in a quicksand, brother neck deep we are!
no! no! no! first comes the throne, nationalism can then follow
Kassim tragic is but mild, a word to describe our future
what devil have they dropped, yelling at our doorsteps
this foreign brat of democracy, that them as parents cant tame
this devil in disguise, we can do without
sorry for going astray, for emotions took control of me.
yes, so the counts never matched, and the message was still in echo
the best cooks cook up couldnt, so loud was the message
byebyed they had been, by the masses of virtue
match or mismatch, what the heck does it matter
the ball is in your court, play ball zec play ball
zec had it all easy, for the final say was his and only his
kicked the papers asunder, declared the winner and the game was over
free and fair my foot! a farce and a stinking fart,preposterous it was
fooled we have none other, but our very selves of zanzibar
cheated we have none other, but our very selves of zanzibar
laughing stock is no other but our very selves of zanzibar
Abdul
December 31, 2005