Towards Success: The Triangle of Political Victory

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

For a political party to be successful it needs to position itself to assume power. For this reason it requires what I would call as the Triangle of Political Victory. In this triangle there are a Philosophical/Ideological Base, An Administration/Structural Base and an Activism/political base.

If I were to draw a triangle we would have something that looks like this:



Now:

1. Ideological/Philosophical Base: Is that part of the political party which distinguishes it from all other political parties in terms of their mission, perceptions, goals, platforms etc. This is the central piece of any political parties. Most parties have almost the same kinds of structures or administrative outlook but it is here where the fundamental differences between parties exist. It is not just the written philosophies or ideas but rather the people who promulgate those ideas. A political party needs to have its ideological base in its membership as well as in its leadership. A party without an ideological base, it like a people without a culture.

2. Administrative Base: This is that part of the party which involves its structures and its infrastructures of administration, organization and leadership. While most parties structures are somewhat similar each political party needs to develop its own structures befitting its goals, ambition etc. A political party that just copies and paste what other parties have (albeit under different names) is fundamentally inheriting the weaknesses or strengths of those other parties. So, toward victory a party need to create functionaries that would help it soar high. While all birds have wings, not all birds can fly! The differences are in the structural details of their evolutionary making.

3. Political Base: This is the other fundamental part of a political party. Without a strong political base a party will be just a party but not part of a big party! The political base includes its superstars, loyal members, supporters, ideologues, pundits etc. It includes all political leaders from the very bottom to the very top. The political base is what makes a political party win an election. A party can have a good ideology or bad, it can have a very good structural system but without a strong, die-hard political base it will remain just a party with supporters. In order to be able to assume power - say to lead a country - a party needs all of its political base to be behind its agenda.

In my unsolicited humble opinion:

On CCM: It has a strong political base as well as the administrative base but it is lacking a strong philosophical/ideological base. Since the end of Nyerere's era CCM has never been able to articulate a clear ideological stand as a political party. The so called "Market economy" or "Free market" is in fact not an ideology! Even more, the ruling party is facing a very unique situation in its political base; it lacks activism! As a matter of fact some of its cadres despise the idea of activism this brings to a clash among its leaders; the bureaucrats of old and younger youthful members . While the question of ideology is a difficult one the question of the split of its base is the greatest threat to its future. I totally believe that the weakest link within the part is the confluence of the two.

On Chadema: It has a very strong political base as well as a rising philosophical/ideological base but lacking a strong structural base (the base still depends heavily on personalities).

So, once all these three are set towards victory as the saying goes, the sky is the limit or is it?

MM

 

[Mkandara]

Mkuu hii baabu kubwa sana hasa kwa wale wanaopiga makelele sana kwamba Mbowe na Dr.Slaa wajiuzuru bila kueleza hawa watu wanapwaya wapi na wanafit wapi ila macho yao ni muundo wa CCM na kwamba maadam Mbowe ni mwenyekiti basi ajiengue kiti hicho ili asigombee urais as if ukiwa mwenyekiti au katibu basi automatically unakuwa candidate for Presidency..

NB: hiyo attachment haifunguki!

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

NB: hiyo attachment haifunguki!

Nimeiweka hapo chini.

 

[mbasajohn]

thanks 4 th explanation its impressing!

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

thanks 4 th explanation its impressing!

I think this will help to give people some ideas of what need to be done or what need not to be done.

 

[nzom]

Thanx to me u will always be my teacher i rather not sleep keep reading this look on power in hand then charasma with whom do what and y then we shall persue

 

[Steve Dii]

Mkjj, at this level and moment, I think Harvard Kennedy School and Nuffield College must have their eyeballs wide open, drooling down chest wet, trying to seize an earliest available booking slot for your visit at their respective campuses, just so their lucky-few esteemed scholars could experience a one-to-one paid appearance with you!!! 🙂

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Mkjj, at this level and moment, I think Harvard Kennedy School and Nuffield College must have their eyeballs wide open, drooling down chest wet, trying to seize an earliest available booking slot for your visit at their respective campuses, just so their lucky-few esteemed scholars could experience a one-to-one paid appearance with you!!! 🙂

hahaha nimecheka; thanks buddy!

 

[Kobello]

The triangle is arguably right,but not the opinion.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

The triangle is arguably right,but not the opinion.

Thanks..

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

On Chadema: It has a very strong political base as well as a rising philosophical/ideological base but lacking a strong structural base (the base still depends heavily on personalities). So, once all these three are set towards victory as the saying goes, the sky is the limit or is it? MM

Mzee Mwanakijiji, Thanks for this. I hope Chadema will read the "Writings On The Wall" and take appropriate steps to make it right before its too late. To me, 2015 is just around the corner, there are not much time to keep playing the dilly dlying games, by now they must have passed the planning phase long ago and concetrate on implementation by actions!.

 

[Selous]

Mzee Mwanakijiji.

Nashukuru kwa input yako. i full agree with it. I think source of lacking strong strcutural base ilisababishwa na mfumo tuliokuwa nao but imekuwa strength yao. That is applicability of theory on the ground. Tuchukulie mifano ya vyama vingine vilivyopoteza mwelekeo, utakubaliana na mimi kuwa uwezo na sources za kifedha wa individuals ndo mafanikio ya CHADEMA kwa sasa. Napenda kukumbushia uanzishwaji wa CCJ na sarakasi zake.

Kwa kuwa CDM sasa imekuwa ni vema wale walioasisi sasa adopt what you have suggested and need to be respected.

Mhe. Mbowe pamoja na viongozi wengine, jana Mhe. Ole Sendeka alikuwa anachangia kitu kama hiki na bila shaka mtakuwa mmemfuata kulizia kile alichoomanisha.

asante sana

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Mzee Mwanakijiji, Thanks for this. I hope Chadema will read the writing in this wall and take appropriate steps to make it right before its too late. To me, 2015 is just around the corner, there are not much time to keep playing the dilly dlying games, by now they must have passed the planning phase long ago and concetrate on implementation by actions!.

Hapo pana kazi sana si ndogo; labda kikija chama kingine mapema kwa staili ya CCJ ndio wanaweza kuamka kidogo maana...

 

[nsimba]

Many thanks MM for this.Well said, and CDM leaders should find a good way to adopt this toward their victory!

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Many thanks MM for this.Well said, and CDM leaders should find a good way to adopt this toward their victory!

"Tatizo" ni kuwa inaweza kutumiwa na chama chochote kinachotaka ushindi.

 

[Nguruvi3]

For 50 years we have seen, learn and experienced the CCM doctrine. Enough to say the party is in ICU, unless some miracles happen the era is over hence needless to say more about it.

Chadema is vibrant at the moment with energetic and enthusiastic supporters especially the new generation looking for changes; however the party needs mutatis mutandis on administrative structure and infrastructure.

My instinct had it that there is a tug of war among the big wigs in commanding center. The rift slows down the pace and sometime subjects the party to unnecessary reprehensive.

A good example is on Arusha's saga where as the caucus had unanimous decision to reject the mayoral election because the procedure was flawed. This resulted into loss of lives and injuries.

A week ago a draconian movement was made with all blessing from HQ to reverse the former decision. Unfortunate this good news (muafaka) sparked a heated debate in media with Chadema supporters offended, ridiculed and sometime branded as rebels for not conceding earlier.

I anticipated Chadema's secretariat to come out boldly and clarify the situation to supporters with a loud and clear statement regarding the same! It never happened.

If it would be a communiqué probably the situation would have been different. Not! It was unilaterally done by CCM leaders.

Demoralization of the base is the worst strategy any party will attempt; in the aforementioned scenario the base feels despised.
Please do something now and improve your communication in future.

 

[zumbemkuu]

On Chadema: It has a very strong political base as well as a rising philosophical/ideological base but lacking a strong structural base (the base still depends heavily on personalities).
So, once all these three are set towards victory as the saying goes, the sky is the limit or is it?

MM

mkuu aina ya nchi tuliyonayo na watu wake na mfumo tulioukuta ndo utafanya tusuesue hapo kwenye red, naamini tutafikia lengo, as long as CDM na vyama vingine vyote tulianzia ama tulikulia kwenye mfumo huo wa kimagamba, CDM wamethubutu, na tutafika tu japo vikwazo bado ni vingi sana.

 

[Revolutionary]

Saafi, CCM acha wafe na magamba yao. Tuje kwa CDM, CDM ina viongozi wengi na wazuri wa kisiasa lakini tatizo ni kiuongozi au administrative, CDM kinakosa strategic management kwenye administration, hata kwenye ideology pia kiasi chake, ni ideology ya CDM na wanachama wake ni tofauti, well ni sio mbaya kidemkrasia zaidi!
Angalia administrative structure zake toka kata wilaya, mkoa hadi taifa, it could have been done better in tapping the potential that exists.

 

[Ben Saanane]

For a political party to be successful it needs to position itself to assume power. For this reason it requires what I would call as the Triangle of Political Victory. In this triangle there are a Philosophical/Ideological Base, An Administration/Structural Base and an Activism/political base.

If I were to draw a triangle we would have something that looks like this:



Now:

1. Ideological/Philosophical Base: Is that part of the political party which distinguishes it from all other political parties in terms of their mission, perceptions, goals, platforms etc. This is the central piece of any political parties. Most parties have almost the same kinds of structures or administrative outlook but it is here where the fundamental differences between parties exist. It is not just the written philosophies or ideas but rather the people who promulgate those ideas. A political party needs to have its ideological base in its membership as well as in its leadership. A party without an ideological base, it like a people without a culture.

2. Administrative Base: This is that part of the party which involves its structures and its infrastructures of administration, organization and leadership. While most parties structures are somewhat similar each political party needs to develop its own structures befitting its goals, ambition etc. A political party that just copies and paste what other parties have (albeit under different names) is fundamentally inheriting the weaknesses or strengths of those other parties. So, toward victory a party need to create functionaries that would help it soar high. While all birds have wings, not all birds can fly! The differences are in the structural details of their evolutionary making.

3. Political Base: This is the other fundamental part of a political party. Without a strong political base a party will be just a party but not part of a big party! The political base includes its superstars, loyal members, supporters, ideologues, pundits etc. It includes all political leaders from the very bottom to the very top. The political base is what makes a political party win an election. A party can have a good ideology or bad, it can have a very good structural system but without a strong, die-hard political base it will remain just a party with supporters. In order to be able to assume power - say to lead a country - a party needs all of its political base to be behind its agenda.

In my unsolicited humble opinion:

On CCM: It has a strong political base as well as the administrative base but it is lacking a strong philosophical/ideological base. Since the end of Nyerere's era CCM has never been able to articulate a clear ideological stand as a political party. The so called "Market economy" or "Free market" is in fact not an ideology!

On Chadema: It has a very strong political base as well as a rising philosophical/ideological base but lacking a strong structural base (the base still depends heavily on personalities).

So, once all these three are set towards victory as the saying goes, the sky is the limit or is it?

MM

Mwanakijiji,

Thank you for your Excellent Analysis,Respect! Let me air my views On Ideological aspect,muda ukinitosha baadaye nitatoa maoni kwenye hizo angle mbili zilizobaki.
I understand the problems you identify,Perharps lack of the triangular-Output front triggers cross carpeting and so on, and once i thought the solution you propose especially on ideological aspect will only muddy up the situation. I have always thought debates on ideology are often propagated by bored intellectuals and self interested journalists. Ultimately, politicians of whatever ideological hue respond to precepts that often do not include ideology.So possibly i was on the wrong side of reasoning.

I have always wondered if the recent crop of new age politicians have ideologies or even understand ideologies that their political parties represent or stand for with the way they are always decamping and recamping as soon as they are not nominated or should i use the word selected to run on the platforms of their respective parties. I remember in the last general elections how our so called politicians were just joining every and any party as long as they were for the Bunge,Udiwani and whatever candidate,some party seceteriats were set up in some of them's homes.

In most developed democracies and even in our earlier political history,political parties had ideological viewpoints,we all know the world view of Republicans and Democrats in the United states,The Labour and Conservative parties in the United kingdom and even of the All India Congress party and Janata (BJP) Party in India.Members of these parties believe in certain principles and this makes up their party's Mandate and Manifesto.

Right now most of our political parties have no ideologies,its anything or anyone goes.I believe the rate of decamping that went on in the last elections just goes on to show that they (the politicians and parties) have no idea of what they actually want out of serving the nation,all they want is to get into power and would use any means to get there.One would wonder why Hilary Clinton did not become a Republican considering the long and hard presidential tussle between Hillary Clinton and Obama, I am guessing this is because she believes in the Democratic ideology of peope welfare as opposed to the Free Market principles most Conservative GOP believe in.I do think out political parties need to go back to the drawing board.

Our politicians have no qualms crosscarpeting simply because their party manifestos are usually very similar. A careful look at will reveal that they are basically composed of (after weeding out the rhetorics of course) the same trash: employment, food education, etc. How they intend to carry out such programs which would formed the basis of their ideologies is lamentably lacking.

The more advanced ideologies, (left wing, right ring, conservatives, liberial, etc ) that marks out a politician and give one an idea of his orientation are clearly alien to our young democracy and needs to be developed over time by a Serious political Party.

 

[KAMBOTA]

AN OPEN LETTER TO MZEE MWANAKIJIJI,
This is the best article i have ever come across since i joined JF, now i would like to ask you comrade to send me this article to my mailbox novakambota@gmail.com so that i post it in my site