Analysts react on Magufuli victory

Analysts have expressed mixed feelings on the election of President John Magufuli as the ruling party CCM chairman Monday, with the main contentious issue being the voting process.

While some observers hailed the President’s choice as a big win for the ruling party, others were sceptical, punching holes in the voting process.

President Magufuli garnered 100 per cent of the votes to reclaim the CCM leadership for the next five years in an election held in the capital, Dodoma.

The National Assembly Speaker, Mr Job Ndugai, who was the election’s returning officer, announced that Dr Magululi won all 1,821 votes cast by delegates.

Besides Dr Magufuli, Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein will continue as the island’s CCM Vice Chairman after garnering 1,819 votes out of 1,819 votes cast.

“The 100 per cent victory shows that President Magufuli is currently accepted within CCM. He must be accepted because he is strengthening the party,” said Prof Gaudence Mpangala, a political science lecturer at the Ruaha University College in Iringa Region.

However, Prof Mpangala was quick to point out that although the President’s victory strengthened his party, it was bad news for the opposition decrying a decline in freedom of expression.

He noted that the ruling party’s interests were seemingly the priority, a situation that made CCM members feel safer.

Mr Hamad Salim, a political science lecturer at the Open University of Tanzania, said it was difficult for an aspirant to win all votes in a democratic system.

He said the win was down to the party’s culture of recognising the President as the chairman.

But a political science lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Benson Bana, said the election of the President by 100 per cent was not surprising because members were comfortable with policy and the current leadership.

The ruling party’s mainland vice chairman, Mr Philip Mangula, garnered a near 100 per cent victory after collecting 1,826 votes out of 1,827.