UKWELIYAKINIFU
Member
- Oct 6, 2020
- 27
- 50
1. Weak Opposition
Unlike in 2015 where the opposition united under the banner of one presidential candidate and political parties leaving to each other key constituencies, this time around about 14 political parties went out individually trying to oust Magufuli.
Such a disunited opposition, you don't need to find a Professor of political science to do a report for you to see how the opposition put itself on the edge of loosing the election.
2. Leading Opposition Candidates Who Turned Weak
The most leading opposition parties, CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, fielded two prominent politicians: Advocate Tundu Lissu and former Foreign Minister Ben Membe respectively.
Tundu Lissu, analysts argue, is an outspoken human rights activists but failed to argue his case prominently to common Tanzanians who see Magufuli as their saviour and warrior.
"Lissu's main strategy was to disprove what Magufuli did; challenging his mega projects and the level of development without himself unleashing a credible alternative policy if elected," says Konrad Adlang from the Southern African Institute of Democracy and Good Governance.
On the other hand, Mr. Membe who was expected to bring to the opposition his massive experience in politics, security and international affairs to boost the campaign, however, reports indicate that he could not attend campaign rallies in many parts of the country for reasons beyond my horizon.
3. Ideology vs Development
The opposition's ideology on development seems controversial. In their fierce attack against what Magufuli had done in the past five years, they usually challenged his focus on infrastructure.
The opposition's ideology that said they would focus on peoples development was not well defended or rlaborated on how can a country attain pro-people development without investing in such enablers such as roads and bridges!
4. Controversial Policies
Some opposition parties in Tanzania had very controversial policies, weak enough to be able to have massive support from the people.
One opposition candidate, Mr. Hashim Rangwe, forinstance, pledged to provide cooked rice with beans to all Tanzanians if elected! How do you win a decisive election with simple policies like that!
Mr. Tundu Lissu on his part, being a human rights advocate and a Warwick alumni in the UK, defended certain western values, the most controversial one, his position on homosexual relationships. How do you win an African election with such policies highly unacceptable in religion and African traditions!
Political scientists unanikously agree, these were petty alternative policies to oust Magufuli, who enjoys a very strong record in delivering his promises. This brings us to Magufuli's own strengths.
5. Magufuli's Strong Record
I always argue, when I do a purview of Tanzania, that any meaningful analysis on the massive failures of the opposition in Tanzania, this time and before election, must be well pillared on an interplay of factors touching upon weaknessess within the opposition itself on one hand and the strengths of Magufuli himself.
Known across Africa for his strong and at times controversial stances, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli by all measures is not an easy candidate to tear off.
He came into power in November, 2015, and unleashed a unique leadership style christened as "Magufulification".
He pursued the corrupt officials in the government, dismissed top level officials for emblezlement, reshufled his cabinet whenever he discovered inefficient Ministers and did very well in socio-economic transformation.
He revamped the national airliner, and spent own funds, no loans like in Kenya, to fund Africa's largest electric railway project, the $3.0 billion Standard Gauge Railway; from Dar es Salaam to the country's Capital Dodoma.
He pursued other high level infrastructural projects including the $2.9 billion Africa's fourth largest hydropower project in the Stieglers Gorge in Selous. He built roads, flyovers, bridges and social services like health centers and hospitals.
He offered free education for all students from primary and secondary schools and increased loans to higher learning students.
His controversial no-lockdown-no-mask policy during the Covid-19 pandemic, still remains one of the huge factors that made Magufuli discussed all over the world with citizens in other countries praising him. Many nations are now immitating most of his approaches in dealing with the Corona virus.
Facts are facts, it is apparently a daunting task to beat Magufuli the delivery minded African President. Tanzanian opposition should therefore refrain from luring and lying to the international community on petty allegations of misconducts in the just ended election.
Flaws and minor irregularities that do not cause illigality of an election cannot be avoided in elections; the process is people manned and some delays may occur, voting may delay, papers may delay and this happens even in the US.
The Heritage Foundation, a US based not for profit organization, forinstance, always puts on record such irregularities common in US elections, see: Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database | The Heritage Foundation.
In the forthcoming November elections in the US, President Trump himself is already worried of possible frauds in the electoral processes.
Conclussively, minor irregularities are common in most elections, political parties must base on critical and substative issues before they complain once they loose.
In my humble opinion, the election in Tanzania, is such an example where the opposition must go back to their drawing board, reorganize and try their lucky in the forthcmoning opportunities, this one was open and clear, they saw their own seeds of defeat, long before.
*The author is a Kenyan political analyst based in Sandton, South, Africa, but now on a 1 year fellowship at Umaine, USA.
Unlike in 2015 where the opposition united under the banner of one presidential candidate and political parties leaving to each other key constituencies, this time around about 14 political parties went out individually trying to oust Magufuli.
Such a disunited opposition, you don't need to find a Professor of political science to do a report for you to see how the opposition put itself on the edge of loosing the election.
2. Leading Opposition Candidates Who Turned Weak
The most leading opposition parties, CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, fielded two prominent politicians: Advocate Tundu Lissu and former Foreign Minister Ben Membe respectively.
Tundu Lissu, analysts argue, is an outspoken human rights activists but failed to argue his case prominently to common Tanzanians who see Magufuli as their saviour and warrior.
"Lissu's main strategy was to disprove what Magufuli did; challenging his mega projects and the level of development without himself unleashing a credible alternative policy if elected," says Konrad Adlang from the Southern African Institute of Democracy and Good Governance.
On the other hand, Mr. Membe who was expected to bring to the opposition his massive experience in politics, security and international affairs to boost the campaign, however, reports indicate that he could not attend campaign rallies in many parts of the country for reasons beyond my horizon.
3. Ideology vs Development
The opposition's ideology on development seems controversial. In their fierce attack against what Magufuli had done in the past five years, they usually challenged his focus on infrastructure.
The opposition's ideology that said they would focus on peoples development was not well defended or rlaborated on how can a country attain pro-people development without investing in such enablers such as roads and bridges!
4. Controversial Policies
Some opposition parties in Tanzania had very controversial policies, weak enough to be able to have massive support from the people.
One opposition candidate, Mr. Hashim Rangwe, forinstance, pledged to provide cooked rice with beans to all Tanzanians if elected! How do you win a decisive election with simple policies like that!
Mr. Tundu Lissu on his part, being a human rights advocate and a Warwick alumni in the UK, defended certain western values, the most controversial one, his position on homosexual relationships. How do you win an African election with such policies highly unacceptable in religion and African traditions!
Political scientists unanikously agree, these were petty alternative policies to oust Magufuli, who enjoys a very strong record in delivering his promises. This brings us to Magufuli's own strengths.
5. Magufuli's Strong Record
I always argue, when I do a purview of Tanzania, that any meaningful analysis on the massive failures of the opposition in Tanzania, this time and before election, must be well pillared on an interplay of factors touching upon weaknessess within the opposition itself on one hand and the strengths of Magufuli himself.
Known across Africa for his strong and at times controversial stances, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli by all measures is not an easy candidate to tear off.
He came into power in November, 2015, and unleashed a unique leadership style christened as "Magufulification".
He pursued the corrupt officials in the government, dismissed top level officials for emblezlement, reshufled his cabinet whenever he discovered inefficient Ministers and did very well in socio-economic transformation.
He revamped the national airliner, and spent own funds, no loans like in Kenya, to fund Africa's largest electric railway project, the $3.0 billion Standard Gauge Railway; from Dar es Salaam to the country's Capital Dodoma.
He pursued other high level infrastructural projects including the $2.9 billion Africa's fourth largest hydropower project in the Stieglers Gorge in Selous. He built roads, flyovers, bridges and social services like health centers and hospitals.
He offered free education for all students from primary and secondary schools and increased loans to higher learning students.
His controversial no-lockdown-no-mask policy during the Covid-19 pandemic, still remains one of the huge factors that made Magufuli discussed all over the world with citizens in other countries praising him. Many nations are now immitating most of his approaches in dealing with the Corona virus.
Facts are facts, it is apparently a daunting task to beat Magufuli the delivery minded African President. Tanzanian opposition should therefore refrain from luring and lying to the international community on petty allegations of misconducts in the just ended election.
Flaws and minor irregularities that do not cause illigality of an election cannot be avoided in elections; the process is people manned and some delays may occur, voting may delay, papers may delay and this happens even in the US.
The Heritage Foundation, a US based not for profit organization, forinstance, always puts on record such irregularities common in US elections, see: Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database | The Heritage Foundation.
In the forthcoming November elections in the US, President Trump himself is already worried of possible frauds in the electoral processes.
Conclussively, minor irregularities are common in most elections, political parties must base on critical and substative issues before they complain once they loose.
In my humble opinion, the election in Tanzania, is such an example where the opposition must go back to their drawing board, reorganize and try their lucky in the forthcmoning opportunities, this one was open and clear, they saw their own seeds of defeat, long before.
*The author is a Kenyan political analyst based in Sandton, South, Africa, but now on a 1 year fellowship at Umaine, USA.
