East African Business Week

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Tanzanians last week marked the 47th anniversary of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar that created the present day Tanzania.
The occasion was a low key in the middle of demands for change from both sides.  While Zanzibar considers the Union which was crafted by the founding Fathers of Tanganyika Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Zanzibar's strongman, Abeid Amani Karume, was unfair and less accommodating, those from the mainland (Tanganyika) say they are giving too much to the Island Government of just over a million people.
The protests against the state of the Union have emerged in a more pronounced way in recent week when the Union Government proposed amendments to the national Constitution. Zanzibaris tore the paper and others burnt it. The Government was forced to withdraw it and re-craft it afresh.
The Union of April 26, 1964 has survived many a turbulent period, but the advantages have been obvious in national security, maintenance of peace, and economic progress for Zanzibaris in particular because they are free to live and set up businesses on Tanzania mainland, while the opposite is not the case.
Some people on either side of the Union have even dared to say there is no need to continue with the Union because those who suffer most are the Tanganyikans.
Zanzibar claims the Union affairs have been changed from the originals ones to suit the Union and therefore are demanding for a total review of the Articles of the Union.
The Zanzibar Constitutional changes of July 31, 2010 referendum provide for a Government of national unity which establishes the positions of the first and second vice presidents - the two formerly rival parties - CCM and CUF-  The Vice President to come from CUF and the 2nd Vice President to comes from CCM.
This arrangement does away with multi-party politics ideals in the Spice Isles where rivalry had reached epic proportions.
Currently, in Zanzibar, there are two vice presidents; the first vice president comes from the Civic United Front (CUF) an opposition party, whereby the second vice president comes from the ruling party (CCM).
At the Government level both Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam continued to say the Union has remained stable and intact despite some 'minor shortcomings that have been amicably resolved.'
Some achievements attained during the 4th Government of President Jakaya Kikwete include removal of barriers which threatened the Union's stability the since 2006.
Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar gets 4.5% of General Budget Support-Credit (GBS-C) since the early 1990s apart from loans from foreign countries under guarantee of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Authorities in Zanzibar recently said the ongoing public outcry over the Constitutional Review Bill of 2011 was a normal reaction and didn't reflect Zanzibaris hatred for the Union.
While Zanzibar has its own President of the Revolutionary Government, a legislative assembly, a national anthem and a national flag, Tanzania mainland doesn't have any of those. Zanzibar MPs sit in the Union parliament and participate in discussions which often pertain to the mainland side.
Zanzibar's House of Representatives can make laws for Zanzibar without the approval of the Union Government as long as it does not involve Union-designated matters.
 The terms of office for Zanzibar's president and House of Representatives are five.