Koala
Member
- Aug 28, 2011
- 97
- 107
President John Magufuli was inaugurated on Thursday, November 5th as president of the United Republic of Tanzania for a second and final term just days after a chaotic election known in the history of the East African nation. Magufuli won a second term in an election that was marred by violence, detentions of opposition candidates, media crackdown, intimidation of political leaders by security organs, and in many places across the country opposition candidates were disqualified from participating in the general polls.
These actions prompted international observers and diplomatic figures in Tanzania, mainly the US, UK, Norway, and Canada, to declare that Magufuli’s reelection came through irregularities and lacked credibility. Ahead of Magufuli’s inauguration ceremony, several members from the main opposition parties of CHADEMA and ACT Wazalendo were briefly arrested and detained and later released without any charges. Later on, Dar es Salaam Police Chief Lazaro Mambosasa said they would be charged for acts of terrorism and endangering national security; claims the opposition denies.
In semi-autonomous Zanzibar, opposition members there say that more than ten people in Pemba and Unguja Islands were murdered by security forces while some of its leaders of including its deputy secretary Nassor Ahmed Mazrui who remain in detention. Its presidential candidate Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad was also arrested and questioned several times during elections.
Many Tanzanians are concerned about the future of Tanzania under the continued leadership of Magufuli. “Political parties will experience difficult conditions, rights groups and media will continue to get harsh treatment just like it was in his first five years in office,” a resident of Dar es Salaam commented.
Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, the chairperson of Civic United Front (CUF) says his party will not participate in any elections under the current constitution: “It high time now for all political parties, civil rights organizations, the media, and all well-wishers to join our hands. Our country needs a new constitution that will reduce the powers of the president. Under the current environment, we cannot expect anything new during the electoral process.”
Under the 1977 Tanzania constitution, a president who is also a ruling party chairman, and head of state and government, exercises powers such as appointing electoral body officials, ministers, armed service top officials, judges. In short, nearly all the top officials in civil service are appointed by the president. But change is unlikely to happen because the political system of Tanzania is nearly all controlled by the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi. Even parliament, which plays a critical role in this process, is controlled by the ruling party of more than 90%.
Without a New Constitution and Free National Electoral Commission, there will be:
These actions prompted international observers and diplomatic figures in Tanzania, mainly the US, UK, Norway, and Canada, to declare that Magufuli’s reelection came through irregularities and lacked credibility. Ahead of Magufuli’s inauguration ceremony, several members from the main opposition parties of CHADEMA and ACT Wazalendo were briefly arrested and detained and later released without any charges. Later on, Dar es Salaam Police Chief Lazaro Mambosasa said they would be charged for acts of terrorism and endangering national security; claims the opposition denies.
In semi-autonomous Zanzibar, opposition members there say that more than ten people in Pemba and Unguja Islands were murdered by security forces while some of its leaders of including its deputy secretary Nassor Ahmed Mazrui who remain in detention. Its presidential candidate Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad was also arrested and questioned several times during elections.
Many Tanzanians are concerned about the future of Tanzania under the continued leadership of Magufuli. “Political parties will experience difficult conditions, rights groups and media will continue to get harsh treatment just like it was in his first five years in office,” a resident of Dar es Salaam commented.
Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, the chairperson of Civic United Front (CUF) says his party will not participate in any elections under the current constitution: “It high time now for all political parties, civil rights organizations, the media, and all well-wishers to join our hands. Our country needs a new constitution that will reduce the powers of the president. Under the current environment, we cannot expect anything new during the electoral process.”
Under the 1977 Tanzania constitution, a president who is also a ruling party chairman, and head of state and government, exercises powers such as appointing electoral body officials, ministers, armed service top officials, judges. In short, nearly all the top officials in civil service are appointed by the president. But change is unlikely to happen because the political system of Tanzania is nearly all controlled by the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi. Even parliament, which plays a critical role in this process, is controlled by the ruling party of more than 90%.
Without a New Constitution and Free National Electoral Commission, there will be:
- No free and fair election in Tanzania.
- Citizens in Tanzania will continue to be used as a tool to legitimize the ruling party presidential, Member of Parliament, and Councilors selection through the ballot box, because the results will continue to be rigged and CCM will continue to win by 99%.
- Diplomatic community by participating as International Observers will continue being used as a rubber stamp to justify the presence of Democracy in Tanzania.
