Mzee Mwanakijiji
Platinum Member
- Mar 10, 2006
- 33,476
- 39,995
By. M. M. Mwanakijiji
Once again the Tanzanian people have witnessed a peaceful and colorful transfer of power from one civilian administration to another. For the fifth time in its post-independence history one President obeying a constitutional mandate stepped down willingly and cheerfully to make way for the inauguration of an incoming president with millions of Tanzanians across the country and around the world witnessing the occasion, proudly.
(Picha na Issa Michuzi)
Once again we have seen our democracy being tested and questioned and it has answered friends and foes alike with a resounding affirmative. The retirement of President Jakaya Kikwete after his ten years in office had some people wondering if we will be able to transfer power to the next president in a similar manner we had had witnessed ten years ago after third President Benjamin Mkapa two terms in office were over.
There were grounds for such worries I must admit. In this year?s General Elections like the previous one in 2010 the nation witnessed almost similar and sometimes hostile polarization of the political campaigns. Some would even argue that in some places the campaigns were nastier than ever before. This year the ruling party ? CCM - once again faced an overwhelming and impending threat to its hold on power. One could easily describe such a threat as an existential one. Unlike in 2010 where the threat came from a popular figure in the opposition party this year the threat came from within; at least in the run up to the nomination of the party?s presidential candidate. When Edward Lowassa ? the former Premier and a force to reckon with within the party ? was left out of the final five his destination was clear ? to the opposition. Democracy saddled a horse.
He didn?t go anywhere else but like a professional wrestler he went straight to CHADEMA?s corner ? CCM?s worst nightmare of the past five years. On the first day he joined the party, the next day ?literally- he became the party?s presidential candidate effectively and unceremoniously ending CHADEMA?s own Secretary General?s dream of a second presidential run after that of 2010. That happened in two days; by the end of that week CHADEMA found itself on the defensive! Democracy was on the march!
Within days the Secretary General ? Dr. Wilbrod P. Slaa ? resigned from his position in protest, the Chairman of the other major opposition party resigned as well citing conscience objection and the ruling party thought it got it easy this time. Well, that was just the beginning of the drama that would play in the next two months or so during campaigns. My goodness, what a campaign that was! In those two months we heard everything, we were promised not only milk and honey in the new Bongo?s Paradise but also silk and money! If there is a book that politicians use in Africa (or elsewhere for that matter) to lure voters in Tanzania all the volumes of that book were used. Tanzanians participated in droves in campaign rallies in all their forms and fashions and they saw democracy at its best having a field day.
By the time our people queued to vote Tanzanian politics had been transformed substantially and probably for a longtime to come. The opposition had two former Prime Ministers campaigning against the government and the party which they belonged to and tried to get its nomination just few weeks before. A number of prominent politicians and figures also aligned themselves with the opposition this time than any other time in our modern history. This time the opposition parties ? cooperating for the first time - were going for the jugular of the ruling party, and boy, did they go for it; they surely did.
On the other side however, the ruling party enjoyed the privileges of an incumbency and was not going to lose easily this election. The party had put all its eggs, onions and tomatoes in one basket; on the shoulders of Dr. John P. Magufuli a popular figure indeed in his own right. He ? like his opponent Lowassa in the opposition ? became an army of one; trying to carry his party by using his own charm and charisma. Magufuli had herculean tasks ? to fend off all of the opposition attacks as well as establish himself (and his party by extension) as the true reformers! Democracy had a dance off!
The people voted en masse all over the country. Some of us had worried that there would be a repeat of low voters turn out like the one in 2010. Not this time. Almost seventy percent of registered voters turned out to vote; in 2010 only about 42 percent of the voters turned out to vote (at least that is what was said after the election lacking any scientific explanation as to what led to those low levels).
Then, like in 2010 democracy collapsed again at the finish line; at the tallying and the announcement of the presidential returns we found ourselves once again ill prepared and relying on an archaic electoral system. While most of the world uses computers and cellphones to perform many of ordinary tasks as party of the technological leaps of the last half of the past century we are still using primitive methods of tallying, reporting and even verifying electoral results as if that party of our nation was held in a time capsule. Our system was designed during the one party state and it hasn?t undergone major reforms (except those during the reintroduction of the multiparty democracy in early 1990s)
The system left a lot to desire for. But, even with that there was no doubt on the victory of John Magufuli. He won handedly and so far there has not been a credible challenge to that victory except usual claims of electoral fraud. Indeed, there might been some irregularities at the tallying or reporting or even some fraud in some areas but so far no credible evidence has been brought forward that would have substantially lead to questioning John Magufuli victory by independent authorities.
There was enough ample time to show (not just claim) that some votes were rigged to the injury of Lowassa?s candidacy; not Lowassa nor his lawyers (some very capable and learned individuals) provided credible and verifiable evidence that either NEC or the ruling party or anybody else for that matter altered the results to favor Magufuli. The constitution does not forbid using the judicial process to stop NEC (National Election Commission) from announcing presidential results nor is there a constitutional time limit that demands NEC to announce the winner or else ? I stand to be corrected on that. There was no way NEC would just stop announcing results simply somebody didn?t like how the numbers were adding up. Some of us learned this the hard way in 2010. Some of our friends did not, unfortunately. So, they ignored history and by doing that they were doomed to repeat it. And they did.
There was nothing left for NEC to do but declare the winner. The victory was loud and clear ? the Tanzania people had rejected what the opposition was offering. It was not enough to remove CCM from power or deny Magufuli the presidency; a sad truth indeed to the many people who have fought to promote change. Lowassa?s journey came to an end and the opposition was defeated almost all over the country. CCM maintained its majority albeit a smaller one compared to that of 2010 but it remains the party in power.
It is in this background that we saw democracy living on as two administrations exchanged positions on Thursday; one going out the other coming in. As some of Africa?s longest leaders (some with checkered history on the term limit question) looked on Tanzania put a show and a lesson; we still got it. No one is above the constitution and with all the problems we have in our constitution the one on term limit is not one of them. A president comes in after his term or terms in office he goes out. It doesn?t matter how popular or how much he believes he is still wanted; when the time comes he has to do the omega walk; just like Kikwete, just like Mkapa, just like Mwinyi. That?s democracy!
The only challenge remaining for our young democracy is for us to overcome archaic electoral system. We as a nation have to find a way to create a system where by the incumbent party can lose an election fairly and squarely or if it wins then do so without leaving questions lingering about is legitimacy. This applies to both the Union election as well as that of Zanzibar; we have to solve this problem head on if we have to make sure that our children and their children will enjoy the best that democracy has to offer. Of course in the case of Zanzibar the issue is not just an election but also another thing that obstructs the true path to democracy ? that will be a topic for another day, God willing.
But for the rest of us, and for today, democracy still lives in our nation, imperfect as it is. Still, it is the best way to govern ourselves for the alternative is not an option nor is it necessary.
Write to me: Mwanakijiji@jamiiforums.com
Once again the Tanzanian people have witnessed a peaceful and colorful transfer of power from one civilian administration to another. For the fifth time in its post-independence history one President obeying a constitutional mandate stepped down willingly and cheerfully to make way for the inauguration of an incoming president with millions of Tanzanians across the country and around the world witnessing the occasion, proudly.
(Picha na Issa Michuzi)
Once again we have seen our democracy being tested and questioned and it has answered friends and foes alike with a resounding affirmative. The retirement of President Jakaya Kikwete after his ten years in office had some people wondering if we will be able to transfer power to the next president in a similar manner we had had witnessed ten years ago after third President Benjamin Mkapa two terms in office were over.
There were grounds for such worries I must admit. In this year?s General Elections like the previous one in 2010 the nation witnessed almost similar and sometimes hostile polarization of the political campaigns. Some would even argue that in some places the campaigns were nastier than ever before. This year the ruling party ? CCM - once again faced an overwhelming and impending threat to its hold on power. One could easily describe such a threat as an existential one. Unlike in 2010 where the threat came from a popular figure in the opposition party this year the threat came from within; at least in the run up to the nomination of the party?s presidential candidate. When Edward Lowassa ? the former Premier and a force to reckon with within the party ? was left out of the final five his destination was clear ? to the opposition. Democracy saddled a horse.
He didn?t go anywhere else but like a professional wrestler he went straight to CHADEMA?s corner ? CCM?s worst nightmare of the past five years. On the first day he joined the party, the next day ?literally- he became the party?s presidential candidate effectively and unceremoniously ending CHADEMA?s own Secretary General?s dream of a second presidential run after that of 2010. That happened in two days; by the end of that week CHADEMA found itself on the defensive! Democracy was on the march!
Within days the Secretary General ? Dr. Wilbrod P. Slaa ? resigned from his position in protest, the Chairman of the other major opposition party resigned as well citing conscience objection and the ruling party thought it got it easy this time. Well, that was just the beginning of the drama that would play in the next two months or so during campaigns. My goodness, what a campaign that was! In those two months we heard everything, we were promised not only milk and honey in the new Bongo?s Paradise but also silk and money! If there is a book that politicians use in Africa (or elsewhere for that matter) to lure voters in Tanzania all the volumes of that book were used. Tanzanians participated in droves in campaign rallies in all their forms and fashions and they saw democracy at its best having a field day.
By the time our people queued to vote Tanzanian politics had been transformed substantially and probably for a longtime to come. The opposition had two former Prime Ministers campaigning against the government and the party which they belonged to and tried to get its nomination just few weeks before. A number of prominent politicians and figures also aligned themselves with the opposition this time than any other time in our modern history. This time the opposition parties ? cooperating for the first time - were going for the jugular of the ruling party, and boy, did they go for it; they surely did.
On the other side however, the ruling party enjoyed the privileges of an incumbency and was not going to lose easily this election. The party had put all its eggs, onions and tomatoes in one basket; on the shoulders of Dr. John P. Magufuli a popular figure indeed in his own right. He ? like his opponent Lowassa in the opposition ? became an army of one; trying to carry his party by using his own charm and charisma. Magufuli had herculean tasks ? to fend off all of the opposition attacks as well as establish himself (and his party by extension) as the true reformers! Democracy had a dance off!
The people voted en masse all over the country. Some of us had worried that there would be a repeat of low voters turn out like the one in 2010. Not this time. Almost seventy percent of registered voters turned out to vote; in 2010 only about 42 percent of the voters turned out to vote (at least that is what was said after the election lacking any scientific explanation as to what led to those low levels).
Then, like in 2010 democracy collapsed again at the finish line; at the tallying and the announcement of the presidential returns we found ourselves once again ill prepared and relying on an archaic electoral system. While most of the world uses computers and cellphones to perform many of ordinary tasks as party of the technological leaps of the last half of the past century we are still using primitive methods of tallying, reporting and even verifying electoral results as if that party of our nation was held in a time capsule. Our system was designed during the one party state and it hasn?t undergone major reforms (except those during the reintroduction of the multiparty democracy in early 1990s)
The system left a lot to desire for. But, even with that there was no doubt on the victory of John Magufuli. He won handedly and so far there has not been a credible challenge to that victory except usual claims of electoral fraud. Indeed, there might been some irregularities at the tallying or reporting or even some fraud in some areas but so far no credible evidence has been brought forward that would have substantially lead to questioning John Magufuli victory by independent authorities.
There was enough ample time to show (not just claim) that some votes were rigged to the injury of Lowassa?s candidacy; not Lowassa nor his lawyers (some very capable and learned individuals) provided credible and verifiable evidence that either NEC or the ruling party or anybody else for that matter altered the results to favor Magufuli. The constitution does not forbid using the judicial process to stop NEC (National Election Commission) from announcing presidential results nor is there a constitutional time limit that demands NEC to announce the winner or else ? I stand to be corrected on that. There was no way NEC would just stop announcing results simply somebody didn?t like how the numbers were adding up. Some of us learned this the hard way in 2010. Some of our friends did not, unfortunately. So, they ignored history and by doing that they were doomed to repeat it. And they did.
There was nothing left for NEC to do but declare the winner. The victory was loud and clear ? the Tanzania people had rejected what the opposition was offering. It was not enough to remove CCM from power or deny Magufuli the presidency; a sad truth indeed to the many people who have fought to promote change. Lowassa?s journey came to an end and the opposition was defeated almost all over the country. CCM maintained its majority albeit a smaller one compared to that of 2010 but it remains the party in power.
It is in this background that we saw democracy living on as two administrations exchanged positions on Thursday; one going out the other coming in. As some of Africa?s longest leaders (some with checkered history on the term limit question) looked on Tanzania put a show and a lesson; we still got it. No one is above the constitution and with all the problems we have in our constitution the one on term limit is not one of them. A president comes in after his term or terms in office he goes out. It doesn?t matter how popular or how much he believes he is still wanted; when the time comes he has to do the omega walk; just like Kikwete, just like Mkapa, just like Mwinyi. That?s democracy!
The only challenge remaining for our young democracy is for us to overcome archaic electoral system. We as a nation have to find a way to create a system where by the incumbent party can lose an election fairly and squarely or if it wins then do so without leaving questions lingering about is legitimacy. This applies to both the Union election as well as that of Zanzibar; we have to solve this problem head on if we have to make sure that our children and their children will enjoy the best that democracy has to offer. Of course in the case of Zanzibar the issue is not just an election but also another thing that obstructs the true path to democracy ? that will be a topic for another day, God willing.
But for the rest of us, and for today, democracy still lives in our nation, imperfect as it is. Still, it is the best way to govern ourselves for the alternative is not an option nor is it necessary.
Write to me: Mwanakijiji@jamiiforums.com
