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- Aug 2, 2010
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Tue, Sep 20th, 2011
| Tanzania
Former Igunga MP, Mr Rostam Aziz announces his resignation in June this year. Though he is influential in Igunga politics, parties participating in the by-election campaigns have been finding it hard to mention his name.
Igunga. For more than two weeks now political parties have been crisscrossing the Igunga constituency in campaigns ahead of the by-election early next month.They all seek to replace the former MP, Mr Rostam Aziz, who resigned in June over what he had described as gutter politics within his ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi.
In many ways, Mr Aziz holds a special significance in Igunga. He is one of very prominent businessmen in the country. As business tycoon, he is known not only in the country, but across the region, the continent and internationally. He is known to have executed a number of business deals in a number of countries globally.
Mr Aziz was the first man who served as MP for Igunga under multiparty politics. He first won the seat in 1994 in by-election which was the first litmus test for multiparty politics. His victory followed the death of former MP, Charles Kabeho, who also served as a Cabinet minister.
Within CCM and in the country, Mr Aziz is taken as one of influential people, who played significant and pivotal role in national politics. He is among those who were behind President Jakaya Kikwete's election in 2005 and his re-election in 2010.
In Igunga, Mr Aziz is one of the respected people. Because he is big businessman, in most cases, he had spent his own money to implement several development projects.
If one wants to gauge the by election campaigns and project who would win the race, it is very difficult to arrive at an answer without putting Mr Aziz in the equation. Those who cried when Mr Aziz was stepping down as an MP, represented thousands of Igunga voters, who had elected Mr Aziz for his personal abilities and not CCM's.
So, when he resigned from the ruling party and blamed the party for it, many people started to think that CCM will have a hard time to retain the seat. They suspected that many Igunga residents would hold the party responsible for the woes which had befallen their leader.
Ahead of his resignation, Mr Aziz was accused within the ruling party as one of few individuals who was supposed to pave way for clean people to take over.
People thought that what transpired within CCM leading to Mr Aziz's resignation would put him in the ‘firing line' of politicians in the campaign rallies.
Amazingly, it is neither the opposition nor the ruling party which has seen Mr Aziz as a topical issue in the campaign. In their campaigns, politicians have attacked other people, but only few have mentioned Mr Rostam but no one has taken a hard hit against him so far.And basing on the style he used to announce his resignation, people expected that his name would be the major topic in the campaign rallies.
There is a general feeling that even the main opposition party, Chadema, which has distinguished itself in the war against grand corruption, would have has capitalised on the former MP resignation to build its strategy in the campaigns.Even during the launch of the party's campaign recently, Chadema secretary genaral Dr Willibrod Slaa, who is viewed as a major critic of the CCM led government over a morass of corruption scandals, did not directly accuse the former MP of corruption.
Chadema has already held campaign rallies covering 21 out of 26 wards throughout Igunga constituency, but the party officials have never pointed an accusing finger at Mr Rostam whose resignation was prompted by the ruling party's expulsion of corrupt elements touted as the skin shedding.
Despite pointing out the few instances of corrupt scandals such as Kagoda, Meremeta and Tanglod during Chadema's campaign launch, Dr Slaa never linked a particular scandal with the resignation of the former Igunga MP.
"We can't link Rostam with his bad past at such sensitive moments of the campaign. Rostam is our man whose former majority supporters disgruntled by his resignation were undoubtedly behind our candidate," said Chadema youth wing cadre who did not prefer his name to be revealed in this newspaper.
The same appears to be the case for CCM officials who are campaigning for the party's candidate Dr Dalaly Kafumu. During their campaigns, they launched the party an extra mile by coming along with the former MP to campaign for a person CCM has appointed to become his successor.
Rumours were rife that the ruling party was trying to bridge the cracks that had developed among its members. There were reports over a large faction of CCM members who comprised those who supported Mr Rostam on one hand and those who were supporting the current party parliamentary candidate on the other.
However, reports had it that the cracks within Chama Cha Mapinduzi which have obviously turned into the big political capital of their main political rivals, Chadema, could also be a result of differences that emanated from CCM preferential votes after Mr Rostam resigned.
The impact of alleged political differences are said to have had great negative impact among CCM supporters within Simbo, Nkinga and Igunga wards which are said to constitute the significant percentage of voters throughout the constituency.
Mr Idd Mohamed, who is resident of Igunga township, said most people in the area had a feeling that the circumstances that led to Mr Rostam's resignation were not of their utmost concern, rather he said, people felt their former MP was a mere victim of unspecified circumstances and misunderstandings among the party's top brass based on individual interest at national level.
Mr Idd concurs with one of the senior staff at the Igunga District Council who said he has never come across an MP who was so influential Mr Rostam who commanded great support of his constituents. He said even those who had once attempted to challenge him during his tenure, ended up declaring to quit the race before the election was held.
According to the Igunga District Council staff who declined to be named, the most challenging parliamentary elections for Mr Rostam ever since he assumed the role as Igunga MP in 1994, was during the previous elections in which about 11,321 votes rejected him.
Despite the challenge posed by CUF candidate, Mr Leopord Mahonda, Rostam yet managed to scoop a total of 35,674 which was almost more than 72 per cent of 49,013 people who cast their ballots during that particular election.
Even by judging by the factor of the majority support for Mr Rostam during the previous elections, it is evident that all the major political parties during this latest by-election would struggle by any means to capture influence of his supporters to win more votes against each others.
The CCM campaigns coordinator Mr Mwigulu Nchemba has already said it was clear that they were not prepared to lose the majority support of 35,674 voters who cast their ballots in favour of their candidate during the previous elections.
While CCM was striving to get the votes collected by CUF candidate in order to reinforce their victory and retain the seat, Mr Nchemba said the ruling party did not fear Chadema who did not have a single vote because they did not take part in the previous elections.
By the CCM spokesperson clarification, it goes without saying that neither of Chadema nor CCM was prepared to damage the reputation of Mr Rostam Aziz in such a way that would scare away former MP supporters from voting for their respective party candidates in this by-election.
Most of the political strategic figures in Igunga who did not prefer to be named in this newspaper, principally agree that Mr Rostam resignation was taken as the opposition's political capital since no one among his close friends and political allies was likely to vote for the CCM candidate.
The political strategic figures who include CCM cadres said most of them were irked by the circumstances which led to expulsion of their former MP who himself said he resigned over which he termed as gutter politics in the ruling party.
Even at one point recently during the CCM campaign rally in Hiba Ward, people pressed that the minister of State in the Presidents Office responsible for Public Relations Mr Stephen Wasira, to clarify why he was asking them to vote for a candidate from the party whose former MP has accused of gutter politics.
The political analysisits were of the opining that the prevailing situation was giving the ruling party a hard time because it was apparently fighting against the opposition parties and enemies within the party at the same time.
During Chadema campaign launch, the Maswa west MP Sylvester Kasulumbayi said Mr Rostam's resignation was not only a blessing in disguise, but it demonstrated how much pity God felt for Igunga constituents to get someone who would mitigate their grievances.
Any candidate who is likely to win from any among the political parties which are taking part in Igunga by-election will become the fourth MP after Chief Humbi Ziota who was succeeded by the late Charles Kabeho and later Mr Rostam Aziz who resigned a few months ago.
By Joas Kaijage, Political Platform – The Citizen
| Tanzania
Former Igunga MP, Mr Rostam Aziz announces his resignation in June this year. Though he is influential in Igunga politics, parties participating in the by-election campaigns have been finding it hard to mention his name.
Igunga. For more than two weeks now political parties have been crisscrossing the Igunga constituency in campaigns ahead of the by-election early next month.They all seek to replace the former MP, Mr Rostam Aziz, who resigned in June over what he had described as gutter politics within his ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi.
In many ways, Mr Aziz holds a special significance in Igunga. He is one of very prominent businessmen in the country. As business tycoon, he is known not only in the country, but across the region, the continent and internationally. He is known to have executed a number of business deals in a number of countries globally.
Mr Aziz was the first man who served as MP for Igunga under multiparty politics. He first won the seat in 1994 in by-election which was the first litmus test for multiparty politics. His victory followed the death of former MP, Charles Kabeho, who also served as a Cabinet minister.
Within CCM and in the country, Mr Aziz is taken as one of influential people, who played significant and pivotal role in national politics. He is among those who were behind President Jakaya Kikwete's election in 2005 and his re-election in 2010.
In Igunga, Mr Aziz is one of the respected people. Because he is big businessman, in most cases, he had spent his own money to implement several development projects.
If one wants to gauge the by election campaigns and project who would win the race, it is very difficult to arrive at an answer without putting Mr Aziz in the equation. Those who cried when Mr Aziz was stepping down as an MP, represented thousands of Igunga voters, who had elected Mr Aziz for his personal abilities and not CCM's.
So, when he resigned from the ruling party and blamed the party for it, many people started to think that CCM will have a hard time to retain the seat. They suspected that many Igunga residents would hold the party responsible for the woes which had befallen their leader.
Ahead of his resignation, Mr Aziz was accused within the ruling party as one of few individuals who was supposed to pave way for clean people to take over.
People thought that what transpired within CCM leading to Mr Aziz's resignation would put him in the ‘firing line' of politicians in the campaign rallies.
Amazingly, it is neither the opposition nor the ruling party which has seen Mr Aziz as a topical issue in the campaign. In their campaigns, politicians have attacked other people, but only few have mentioned Mr Rostam but no one has taken a hard hit against him so far.And basing on the style he used to announce his resignation, people expected that his name would be the major topic in the campaign rallies.
There is a general feeling that even the main opposition party, Chadema, which has distinguished itself in the war against grand corruption, would have has capitalised on the former MP resignation to build its strategy in the campaigns.Even during the launch of the party's campaign recently, Chadema secretary genaral Dr Willibrod Slaa, who is viewed as a major critic of the CCM led government over a morass of corruption scandals, did not directly accuse the former MP of corruption.
Chadema has already held campaign rallies covering 21 out of 26 wards throughout Igunga constituency, but the party officials have never pointed an accusing finger at Mr Rostam whose resignation was prompted by the ruling party's expulsion of corrupt elements touted as the skin shedding.
Despite pointing out the few instances of corrupt scandals such as Kagoda, Meremeta and Tanglod during Chadema's campaign launch, Dr Slaa never linked a particular scandal with the resignation of the former Igunga MP.
"We can't link Rostam with his bad past at such sensitive moments of the campaign. Rostam is our man whose former majority supporters disgruntled by his resignation were undoubtedly behind our candidate," said Chadema youth wing cadre who did not prefer his name to be revealed in this newspaper.
The same appears to be the case for CCM officials who are campaigning for the party's candidate Dr Dalaly Kafumu. During their campaigns, they launched the party an extra mile by coming along with the former MP to campaign for a person CCM has appointed to become his successor.
Rumours were rife that the ruling party was trying to bridge the cracks that had developed among its members. There were reports over a large faction of CCM members who comprised those who supported Mr Rostam on one hand and those who were supporting the current party parliamentary candidate on the other.
However, reports had it that the cracks within Chama Cha Mapinduzi which have obviously turned into the big political capital of their main political rivals, Chadema, could also be a result of differences that emanated from CCM preferential votes after Mr Rostam resigned.
The impact of alleged political differences are said to have had great negative impact among CCM supporters within Simbo, Nkinga and Igunga wards which are said to constitute the significant percentage of voters throughout the constituency.
Mr Idd Mohamed, who is resident of Igunga township, said most people in the area had a feeling that the circumstances that led to Mr Rostam's resignation were not of their utmost concern, rather he said, people felt their former MP was a mere victim of unspecified circumstances and misunderstandings among the party's top brass based on individual interest at national level.
Mr Idd concurs with one of the senior staff at the Igunga District Council who said he has never come across an MP who was so influential Mr Rostam who commanded great support of his constituents. He said even those who had once attempted to challenge him during his tenure, ended up declaring to quit the race before the election was held.
According to the Igunga District Council staff who declined to be named, the most challenging parliamentary elections for Mr Rostam ever since he assumed the role as Igunga MP in 1994, was during the previous elections in which about 11,321 votes rejected him.
Despite the challenge posed by CUF candidate, Mr Leopord Mahonda, Rostam yet managed to scoop a total of 35,674 which was almost more than 72 per cent of 49,013 people who cast their ballots during that particular election.
Even by judging by the factor of the majority support for Mr Rostam during the previous elections, it is evident that all the major political parties during this latest by-election would struggle by any means to capture influence of his supporters to win more votes against each others.
The CCM campaigns coordinator Mr Mwigulu Nchemba has already said it was clear that they were not prepared to lose the majority support of 35,674 voters who cast their ballots in favour of their candidate during the previous elections.
While CCM was striving to get the votes collected by CUF candidate in order to reinforce their victory and retain the seat, Mr Nchemba said the ruling party did not fear Chadema who did not have a single vote because they did not take part in the previous elections.
By the CCM spokesperson clarification, it goes without saying that neither of Chadema nor CCM was prepared to damage the reputation of Mr Rostam Aziz in such a way that would scare away former MP supporters from voting for their respective party candidates in this by-election.
Most of the political strategic figures in Igunga who did not prefer to be named in this newspaper, principally agree that Mr Rostam resignation was taken as the opposition's political capital since no one among his close friends and political allies was likely to vote for the CCM candidate.
The political strategic figures who include CCM cadres said most of them were irked by the circumstances which led to expulsion of their former MP who himself said he resigned over which he termed as gutter politics in the ruling party.
Even at one point recently during the CCM campaign rally in Hiba Ward, people pressed that the minister of State in the Presidents Office responsible for Public Relations Mr Stephen Wasira, to clarify why he was asking them to vote for a candidate from the party whose former MP has accused of gutter politics.
The political analysisits were of the opining that the prevailing situation was giving the ruling party a hard time because it was apparently fighting against the opposition parties and enemies within the party at the same time.
During Chadema campaign launch, the Maswa west MP Sylvester Kasulumbayi said Mr Rostam's resignation was not only a blessing in disguise, but it demonstrated how much pity God felt for Igunga constituents to get someone who would mitigate their grievances.
Any candidate who is likely to win from any among the political parties which are taking part in Igunga by-election will become the fourth MP after Chief Humbi Ziota who was succeeded by the late Charles Kabeho and later Mr Rostam Aziz who resigned a few months ago.
By Joas Kaijage, Political Platform – The Citizen
