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Inadequate political attention failing the Union
2008-04-26 09:30:06
By Gerald Kitabu
Today, Tanzania celebrates 44 years since Tanganyika and Zanzibar went into a political marriage on April 26, 1964, nearly three months after the Zanzibar Revolution that brought in the black majority rule from the minority Arabs rule under the Sultanate.
As the country marks this historic day, today`s celebration has all the colour and pomp of the great African statesmen the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and late Abeid Amani Karume when men and women first danced and sang their voices hoarse to praise the sole Union of the two African independent countries.
The first of its kind in Africa, the Union championed by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere did not only aim at protecting the then fragile Zanzibar Revolutionary Government from the Arab sultanate, but also wanted to heal the wounds and bridge internal differences between Unguja and Pemba residents which were left behind by the Revolution.
One of the factors that might send the Union to the graveyard is the existing difference between the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and opposition Civic United Front (CUF).
Since multiparty system was reintroduced in 1992, so far, three general elections have been held namely in 1995, 2000 and 2005 where in all three elections, both political parties CCM and CUF had declared to have won, something which gave birth to political reconciliation (Muafaka).
The political dialogue between the two parties started, aiming at ironing out areas of contention with the signing of two accords in 1999 and 2001, which were not fully implemented.
On January 16, 2007, the General Secretaries for CCM and CUF met in Zanzibar and announced that the two parties had agreed to commence talks to resolve the political problems facing Zanzibar.
The announcement was well received by the general public. Then the dialogue started, and lasted for 14 months.
In mid March, this year, the negotiating teams from the two parties agreed to form a coalition government in Zanzibar.
Immediately after the resolution of the dialogue, CUF went before the public announcing to the general public that now they had ``clinched a deal``.
Few days later, CCM National Executive Committee held a three-day meeting at Butiama, a birth place of CCM founder, the late Mwalimu Nyerere.
NEC meeting, however, down played CUF statements and referred the issue of coalition government in Zanzibar to a referendum instead.
Aggrieved and distressed, the CUF top brass strongly rejected the CCM`s National Executive Committee (NEC)\'s position to suspend the endorsement of plans to have a coalition government in Zanzibar.
To show resentment, the CUF legislators expressed their displeasure by storming out of the august House with the morning session in progress.
CCM went on announcing that the coalition government would be formed after 2010 general elections, contrary to the expectations of CUF.
According to CCM, formation of a coalition government requires to go through people`s views before it could be put into force.
The reaction by CUF was fast. It rejected the referendum idea because it was not scheduled for discussions during the 14 months reconciliation talks to resolve the problem while accusing CCM of being two-faced in the negotiations.
Since then, some scores have been criticizing the reconciliation talks and others supporting CCM decision to go for a referendum.
Those who criticize the referendum argue that the political crisis in Zanzibar is purely emanating from elections` irregularities, adding that planning for a referendum would take a long time and resources, which means that the accord would not be fully implemented before 2010 general elections even if the idea is accepted.
The political analysts have it also that major constitutional changes have been effected in Zanzibar and Tanzania without referendums.
When CUF declared that it was going for a nationwide protest, some people and political parties as well as stakeholders expressed their fear that anything may happen similar to what happened in the year 2001 when about 29 people lost their lives and thousands others fled their homes after the disputed 2000 elections.
These and other snags are what might develop into an irreparable political rift that of flouting the strong bond of the Union laid down by the late Mwalimu Nyerere.
Just like in a married couple where negotiations between the two sides are vital to finding solutions to the existing problems, so does the Union.
Since Tanganyika and Zanzibar went into a political marriage more than four decades ago, Tanzanians have been living peacefully and harmoniously.
Leaders would be wrong, if they would keep on calling shots behind the scene without the knowledge of the general public.
The existing differences between the two main political parties in Zanzibar are, with no doubt some of the major challenges facing the Union at the moment because the outstanding differences between CCM and CUF are not only sadistic to Zanzibaris, but also to the Union.
That\'s why the political analysts and academicians have since then warned that the marriage between Tanganyika and Zanzibar might face political demise in the future, if there will be no constant negotiations to settle the ever increasing grievances within the Union and Zanzibar in particular.
However, lust for power and the tendency of not paying heed to wisdom and reason might trigger off the demise.
Stubbornness of leaders, many analysts say, is what might set the Union so early on the path to the grave.
The culpability for the present troubles in the Union has been hiped in some leaders` know-it-all attitude.
Whoever speaks out his or her views is branded a political rebel.
In any big issue like this, if the leaders continue with the alttitude of know-it all, then they should expect watching the Union crumbling around them in their respective camps almost in the same manner.
Academician, Brooker T. Washington, President of Tuskegee College of USA, once said ``Whatever you do in life, do it to the best of your ability``.
Definitely Mwalimu, the great statesman in Africa did it to the best of his ability, now he is no more, gone forever, but the Union would still be in existence.
It is the duty and obligation of all Tanzanians to honour this unique treasury and preserve the dignity of the sole Union in Africa by all means.
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