Is there young-old split in CCM?

mmaunya

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Oct 20, 2010
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Old-young rivalry in CCM; what next?
The unprecedented bold stand taken by the youth wing of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (UVCCM) to reject compensation to Dowans, contrary to the position held by some top party old guard, gives a glimpse to what some connoisseurs have dubbed “generational change” taking place in the country.
Historically, the youth wing has fundamentally been used as an institution for molding promising young men and women to take up senior leaderships roles within the ruling party and government, as evidenced by a substantial number of current bigwigs having their roots in UVCCM.
To have its members ascend to that role, the wing assumed with characteristic zealotry the mantle of being staunch loyalists to the old guard on whom their final ascendance to high echelons of political and bureaucratic life depended.
By virtue of its dynamism afforded by the composition of its members, the UVCCM used—and continues—to enjoy a distinctive political clout as compared with other CCM organs like Women or Parent’s associations.
Wherever they felt that a party or government leader was wronged or even under mere criticism, they were vocal and quick to take the role of an advocate, and thus became an instrument for the party to assert its authority, or propaganda, as the case may warrant, as manifested during election campaigns.
The party youngsters who tried to veer off from this generally accepted code of conduct—like the case of a few leaders who raised an ante against a dubious property development project at UVCCM headquarters sponsored by bigwigs—were quickly muted silently, by way of incentives or otherwise.
Prior to the October elections last year, for instance, there were reports that the youths were being holed up in obscure “training camps” where presumably they learnt some bizarre skills, and later some of them—as the case in Musoma Urban illustrated—were implicated in roughing up their political rivals.
Some of the opposition leaders had claimed that the CCM youths were actually being trained in military skills and Marshal arts as an illegal paramilitary force, but the government and the National Electoral Commission failed to take up such complaints seriously.
Given that background, UVCCM’s last Thursday onslaught on Dowans deal-- the loathsome corrupt enterprise destined to suck Sh94 billion from the impoverished state coffers-- marks a kind of strange departure from its known meek or placatory deportment when dealing with CCM-backed affairs.
For keen observers, it is an interesting development that should be subjected to monitoring and follow up in order to appreciate its significance to the evolving political dispensation, which to a certain extent appears to assume a bipartisan facet, as far as the youth are concerned.
To start with, the youth are increasingly finding political orthodoxies, including blind worship of party slogans and loyalty to the old guard—even those implicated in high level corruption and greed-- no longer tenable or justified. There is an emergence of thinking among this generation that national interests should come first, and whoever violates them irrespective of their political rank or affiliation deserves no mercy.
This line of thought was vividly highlighted during an event at the University of Dar es Salaam held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s demise last year, wheredozens of young people echoed one another to lampoon and disparage the political system under which they have been raised.
They seem totally not to comprehend why things are the way they are, as exemplified by riots at university campuses in protest of delays in the disbursement of government loans for some undisclosed reasons.
While the government would like the public to believe that it is playing the role of Good Samaritan by giving such loans to the students, the youth think it is nothing to do with state benevolence, but a matter of giving people their rights, and human rights for that matter.
Some academics attending the Nyerere forum were quick to suggest that the demands of the youth and their emerging philosophical outlook of things represent the beginning of a generational change, where past prejudices no longer hold water.
It would be an exaggeration to state categorically that UVCCM are the ones going to bring about progressive changes in this country, far from it! It is even not clear whether the Thursday statement emanated from the exigencies of internal realignments and squabbles taking place within the ruling party as rival camps jostle to edge out one another while country inches slowly towards the 2015 General Election. Too early to make a conclusive statement!
But one thing is clear: the youth thinks the old guard have outlived their time and can longer provide the stewardship required in 21st Century. They see them as the Bbagbos who have eyes but cannot see; ears but cannot hear; brains but cannot think; and all in the quest for power!
M.J. Maunya, Dar es Salaam
 
Hakuna mgawanyiko wowote, ndani ya hiki chama vijana kuweni makini sana.... wanachofanya sasa ni kutaka kujisafisha kwa staili nyingine ili kurudisha imani ya vijana kwao. kuweni waangalifu msije nunuliwa na matamko ya kihuni ya hawa jamaa. Na uzuri tushaona ndani ya chama cha kijani mbele giza... tuwe waangalifu sana :suspicious:
 
If your assumption of the existance of a rift between ccm old guards and the youth is based on uvccm's statement of yesterday, then you are off the mark; for that statement is another proof that uvccm in its present setting doesnot in any way represent the interest of the youth, but it a mere instrument of the ruling elite, who use it as a shield for their own ulterior motives.
 
Hell no! UVCCM is working under guidance and directions of old guns. CCM is under pressure within not from UVCCM, the leadership of UVCCM is used to calm downs new generation of Tanzanians, old guns are scared of political unrest, they will do whatever it takes to save their ass.:kev:
 
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