Party officially set to tap into wisdom of retired supremos

Dodoma. Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) came up with a model which will enable the party to continue tapping into its retired leaders’ wisdom in November last year.

The first impression of the critics was that the move aimed at preventing the retired leaders from poking their nose into the party’s affairs.

Some beseeched former presidents to refrain from touting for candidates on the ruling party’s ticket during elections.

Participation in election campaigns compels them to side with the ruling party blindly and in the course lower their public esteem at the expense of their immense contribution to the nation, they cautioned. 

The critics were, however, ill-informed, as the retired leaders themselves had for years been asking the party to relieve them of the burden of practising active politics.

The CCM national chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete, revealed in Dodoma at the weekend that the elders themselves were unhappy with the trend.

It was unfair for their party to continue tasking them with responsibilities even after their retirement, the elders lamented.

Mr Kikwete said the elders were tired of attending most of the high level organs meetings, asking those serving the party to operate independently.

According to him, the old system whereby the elders were invited whenever the party held its top organs’ meetings was cumbersome and burdensome to the elders.

“Despite several benefits accrued from their participation in the party’s meetings, given the kind of politics in practice today, they sometimes find it hard to express themselves,” Mr Kikwete admitted.

It was, however, hard for CCM to let them go. The ruling party resolved during its 8th congress to establish an elders’ council instead for them to operate without having to attending the meetings regularly.

Mr Kikwete said the council had been given a leeway to meet whenever they want to and attend any meeting if they want.

“We hope with the freedom they have, they will help us strengthen our party and both governments,” the CCM secretary-general, Mr Abdulhaman Kinana, added.

Speaking during the official launching of the organ here last week, Mr Kinana said the organ has been established through article 127 of the ruling party’s constitution.

The article outlines basic responsibilities of the organ comprising retired CCM chairmen and vice chairmen.

Qualified members of the team currently are former president Ali Hassan Mwinyi, his predecessor, Mr Benjamin Mkapa, former Zanzibar Presidents, Mr Aman Abeid  Karume, and Dr Salmin Amour Juma, and immediate former CCM vice, Mr Pius Msekwa.

According to article 127 (2) of the CCM constitution, this advisory committee will have no formal timetable. It will be meeting in accordance with the needs as decided by the committee itself.

The constitution further stipulates that the main responsibility of the group will be to advise CCM and its two governments. It is upon the committee members to decide on how they want to carry out this work.

But, if the advice is on a specific issue, members of the committee or their representatives will be invited to attend party meetings at national level when their wisdom is needed especially on hard and sensitive issues.

“Doubting Thomases believe the elders’ intervention may interfere with the President’s performance,” Mr Kikwete said.

President Kikwete allayed the CCM members’ fear of the elders’ council creating an additional centre of power within the party.

He assured them that the group will have more advantages than demerits, as it consists of members with vast experience.

Mr Kikwete believed the elders’ valuable know-how in governance, politics and economic transformation would immensely help the party and its governments.

He cited Mr Mwinyi’s introduction and supervision of the country’s economic reforms. Mr Mkapa rolled out the multiparty democracy re-instated towards the end of his predecessor’s tenure.

“The country we are witnessing today has to a great extent been shaped by these two people. They are still around, so why should we be afraid of seeking their assistance in running the country,” he queried.

Most of the local political parties have been informally including elders in their leadership structures, but CCM has gone a step further by formally outlining this organ as part of its official struture.

This gives the organ the mandate, strength and command over its contributions to the ruling party and both governments over issues of national importance.

“They can summon any leader they want to advise them… and if they want to talk to the chairman alone, they have the freedom to summon him.

“But if they think they need to offer their advice to NEC (National Executive Committee), they are also free to ask for attendance of the organ’s meeting,” President Kikwete explained. The elders council’s first assignment was to attend the ruling party’s NEC meeting which transformed itself into a constitutional forum to deliberate on the CCM members’ views on the draft constitution.