What lessons did you draw from Arusha ward polls ?

One commentator says that going by the violence that rocked previous elections in Arusha, he feared that the recent ward by-elections there would replicate the ugly scenarios of the past. This didn’t happen, he notes, because unlike in the previous exercises, procedures were followed - a positive trend that should be sustained.

0715 835 290

A lesson I have drawn from the Arusha by-election is that people do not vote for given parties but for leaders. I am born CCM. I cannot denounce CCM. The party has both excellent and bad leaders, and the same applies to Chadema.

We should play politics for the betterment of our people and our country and not for individual interests. Remember CCM is the mother of almost all opposition parties. Haven’t we seen people who didn’t fare well in CCM doing well in Chadema?

Salekwa Noel, Mirerani, Arusha

If allowed to work, democracy can be the best remedy for all the bizarre goings-on we are witnessing in African as well as non-African states. So far, we have learned that it is the people who should have the final say on who should lead them. Also, timely announcement of election results will make people have confidence in the electoral commission.

This by-election has taught us that even a powerful and ruling party can scale the mountains to measure the hills if its leaders examine their own ideas and thoughts for upcoming elections.

Joel Masunga, Kahama

Violence, destruction of property and deaths during past elections in Arusha made me fear that it would be impossible to hold peaceful by-elections in the city.

But what transpired in the recent ones has helped us understand that it is possible to conduct peaceful elections if individuals and political parties and authorities managing elections respect the rules and principles of conducting the exercise.

If one side feels and acts as if it is above the law, chaos will definitely occur. We witnessed a lot of violence in Arusha during the past elections because procedures were violated.

Thomas Buhilya, Mwanza

Contrary to widespread belief by majority of citizens who have experienced riots, bloodshed and bombings in past elections, the peaceful ones for councillors can be picked as a step towards overcoming challenges of democratic transition in Tanzania.

Mohamed Hamad, Kiteto, Manyara

Lack of peace and political chaos which rocked Arusha in the last two years or so is largely to blame on the regional commissioner Mr Magesa Mulongo who appeared to have directed his anger on the opposition MP for Arusha Urban, Godbless Lema. There has been relative peace in Arusha since he stopped harassing the MP.

Hamisa Juma, Majengo, Babati

The recent peaceful pollsin Arusha is a lesson to those opposing democracy; that the wishes of the majority must always prevail. It is also a reminder that the ordinary citizens, and Chadema in particular, are not behind a spate of violence which has been associated with the party.

John Sulle, Hydom, Mbulu

The present generation is different from the past one such as that of early independence days. Today people know and demand their democratic rights and would refuse to be blindly influenced by politicians. That is what exactly happened in Arusha a fortnight ago.