Tanzania’s political climate (3)
As a matter of fact, especially when it comes to politics in Africa, ruling parties are guarantors of multiparty democracy. This is what is wrong with Africa’s democratic practices.
With ineffectual institutions responsible to guarding multipartyism; that is, electoral commissions, registrars of political parties and associations without powers to self-sustain, Africa’s democracy is messy.
Ruling parties are parties in power. In Africa the parties subsequently have abilities to coerce the opposition. In addition the parties almost always own majority financial resources to run political activities be they electioneering or others. Furthermore, ruling parties are in fusion with governments, they are almost inseparable.
Closely inquired one finds out that adoption of multiparty democracy in Africa was miscalculated. It happens that in many countries there had been one strong party overshadowing governmental roles or providing oversight to leaders from its ranks-and-files.
In some countries it was blatant monopartyism. In other countries some parties existed but were minor in everything. That was before early 1990s when waves of democratization swept Africa.
When entering multiparty democracy (1992) Tanzania hailed from that not so good a practice in public participation. Before that there had been CCM as an only party. That had been dabbed a monoparty system. CCM owned hefty public assets in the name of ‘party assets’ and argued the party was ‘the people’s party’. To date CCM possesses public schools, public stadiums, offices of local ‘wajumbes’, lucrative blocks in each street and so on. Buildings designated for its offices and social installations are sure to make CCM richer than the leading churches. In terms of wealth CCM is second to the government.
A political climate tampered with
Panic is rampant among fanatics of opposition parties. Some are flabbergasted by the fact that top notch leaders switch parties the way one does buses.
Others have declared mistrust of politicians. They swear politicians are flags blowing in the wind. Some think there is no democracy in Tanzania. Only few, very few, go back to the beginning of democratisation in Tanzania to root the climate.
Place the stuffs where they are due, perhaps one can save some emotional youth wobbling in this political set up. It is a fact that Tanzania’s democratic politics are ungrounded.
From day one in multipartyism in 1992 the water was choppy. The ways Tanzania left monoparty system inform many issues going on today.
In a vote by Nyalali commission Tanzanians had in stormy numbers rejected multiparty democracy! That is one. Two, they were convinced to the idea. This means Tanzania’s multipartyism wasn’t an awakening. It was a bargain.
Third, the inception involved segmentation of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi into fragments of parties, majority members retaining CCM’s own ideology. Those now crying so and so is CCM B need to learn this lesson. It came to pass that founders of sprinter parties had been committed CCM cadres. As per traditions they had passed through processes of induction including CCM youth leagues (chipukizi and vijana) until the time they came of age.
What happened in 1992 involved staunch cadres leaving CCM for younger parties. But their visions lingered. Decades later, if one turns back home and we are surprised, that is being ungrounded!
Not only that, party elites for opposition were born of CCM and that is problematic but also comes a fact that CCM retained means and intelligence to pull the strings of power. The new parties found themselves in a closed set. Their politicking is always limited. For example, no opposition party has means to run civic influence in rural areas.
Rural areas are remote, full of uneducated masses and with little access to current ideas. Yet they are the most committed and trusty voters… Here is a problem that will take long to address...
Read the last part to connect the dots.
