Thousands of opposition supporters, mostly young men who had engaged the police in running battles for the previous two days, had gathered after officials released a statement Oct. 31 claiming that opposition leader Seif Sharif Hamad had won 50.63 percent of the presidential vote, edging out incumbent President Amani Abeid Karume who took 49.37 percent. Official results showed many of the seats awarded to the ruling party were in known opposition strongholds.

Reporters had watched as police used tear gas and water cannon against opposition supporters in Stone Town, a neighborhood of the archipelago's main city.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 5, 2005
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