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Meeting to discuss united opposition idea
2007-05-08 09:57:33
By Correspondent Austin Beyadi
The possibility of dissolving the country`s opposition parties to pave the way for the formation of a more formidable one able to challenge the ruling CCM is expected to be the main item on the agenda of a meeting due to be held in Dar es Salaam tomorrow.
Should the delegates to the meeting agree, at least four of the main opposition parties will be dissolved and lead to the registration of a stronger united party in readiness for the 2010 general elections.
The plan is to have the new party choose one aspiring presidential candidate to be approved by all those party to the resolutions of the meeting and subsequent consultations.
NCCR-Mageuzi Secretary General Polisya Mwaiseje told The Guardian yesterday that they have discovered that it is practically impossible for their parties to merge and stand for the election as a coalition because the country’s Constitution does not allow such a thing.
``We have also discovered that having each opposition party contest on its own in the coming elections carries a much higher probability of losing than running as a single strong party,`` he added.
Mwaiseje named the parties expected to participate in tomorrow`s meeting as the Civic United Front (CUF), NCCR-Mageuzi, Tanzania Labour Party and Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema).
He explained that, should things work to plan, the new party would also step up efforts to make the government heed calls to overhaul the Constitution and set up an independent electoral commission.
``Our parties have 15 years of experience in contesting civic, parliamentary and presidential elections and have discerned serious anomalies in the country`s electoral system relative to those in neighbouring and other countries where the constitution was overhauled and independent electoral commissions were established. We seriously want to follow suit,`` he explained.
Mwaiseje said winning elections without joining forces was a pipedream ``because our country’s electoral system is state-controlled and the environment is not conducive for the growth of opposition parties``.
``We have heard about the invaluable role that opposition parties could play if they joined forces but most of us thought that was empty politicking.
The lessons we have learnt from our lack of unity are bitter and we would like our people to know that we now mean business on this issue,`` he noted.
He said the Dar es Salaam meeting would also deliberate on the envisaged party`s constitution and how the party would actually operate.
All previous attempts by opposition parties in the country to join forces have come to nought, most collapsing amid bitter bickering during the countdown to general elections. Many political observers expect little positive change this time around.
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