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 ZANZIBAR, Tanzania (AP) - On the narrow streets of Zanzibar, women wear bright African cloth, pastel Indian tunics and black head-to-toe veils, reflecting the multiculturalism that has thrived on these islands for centuries.
It is a picture of peaceful co-existence, the norm in this archipelago. But months of violence in the lead-up to weekend elections are proof of political, racial and religious tensions.
Sunday's vote has greater significance than ever before, with many Zanzibaris viewing the balloting as Western-style democracy's last chance. Two previous elections were seen as deeply flawed by violence and fraud. A third in that mold would give radicals fodder for their argument that Islam is the only answer to the island's problems.
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