Contrary to earlier announcements and public expectations, the President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, has postponed the dissolution of the Tenth Zanzibar House of Representatives.
According to a previous announcement made on June 22, 2025, by the Office of the President of Zanzibar, it was expected that the House would be dissolved on June 23, 2025. However, in his speech before the House in Chukwani, Mjini Magharib, Dr. Mwinyi stated that the dissolution will now take place on August 13, 2025, to allow more time for election preparations.
“To allow time for preparations for the October 2025 general elections, and under the powers vested in me by Article 91, subsection 2(a) of the Zanzibar Constitution of 1984, I hereby announce that the Tenth House of Representatives will be officially dissolved on August 13, 2025,” said Dr. Mwinyi.
He further stated that both the Union Government and the Zanzibar Government, along with the electoral commissions, INEC and ZEC, are continuing with preparations to ensure that the upcoming elections are fair and conducted within the rule of law.
“It is our collective responsibility to maintain peace in our country before, during, and after the elections,” added Mwinyi.
This extension marks a rare occurrence since the Zanzibar constitutional amendments of 2010, with the previous two Houses of Representatives being dissolved in June during the years 2015 and 2020.
President Mwinyi did not specify the exact nature of the preparations that led to the decision to delay the dissolution of the House, which differs from what was done in previous election years.
On the mainland, President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to dissolve the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania in Dodoma on June 27, 2025, according to the announced schedule.
The general election in Zanzibar will involve voting for the President of the United Republic, the President of Zanzibar, Members of the Union Parliament, and Members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
