After poll gains I would consolidate myself

We are witnessing quite some exciting times. The political climes are changing. Opposition parties, Chadema and the Civil United Front (CUF) have made agreeable gains in the just-ended general elections while very questionable things have been coming from the ruling party, CCM and its government.

Political pundits have felt that CCM has for long been engaged in political self-destruct. It has been conducting political hara-kiri, thinking it could always manipulate Tanzanians and literally get away with murder. The people, through their votes are saying no. Not anymore.

I don’t know whether it’s a heightened sense of euphoria on the part of the opposition or ill advice. But Chadema has come out and said that they don’t recognize the results of the presidential elections in which the Prez, Jack Mrisho Kikwete, has been given the go-ahead to continue with the job for his final five-year stint.

If I was a member of the opposition, I would, of course, voice my serious misgivings about the results. I mean, everyone in Bongo is questioning – what has happened to millions of votes in the presidential votes which simply ‘disappeared’. Word in the street is that the figures were crudely messaged by the National Election Commission (NEC).

Even the state organs, like sekyuliti, have been implicated. They have snarled their denial. But then, they would do that, wouldn’t they?

Everyone with common sense in Tanzania knows this is the last dime for the NEC. I doubt if it will last another 12 months. And I think that is what the opposition should be fighting – the scrapping of that one-party supremacy anachronism called NEC.

If I was in the opposition, I would also mobilize for a strong movement for a new constitution. Not for the review, but the drafting of a brand new constitution. This colonial joke we call the constitution should go – fasta!

It is ridiculous. What we have got here is a constitution for a monarchy. The president is almost God. He reins over us mortals at will. We are all ruled and exist at his pleasure. Thank God we have had relatively level-headed God-fearing rulers since independence. What if we would be unfortunate and get murderous clowns as rulers, you wonder.

If I was the opposition, I would consolidate by intensifying the ‘Operation Sangara’, which everyone knows has borne fantastic results. I would concentrate on civil and parliamentary mobilization. Aim for more legislators in Parliament. Then, come 2015 we would have expected change.

You see, one would have thought that the focus should be of the big picture, not one passport size photo. On winning the wider war, not a battle. Whether you like it or not, the ruling CCM has been thumped on the nose.

Now, thumps to the nose are usu

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ally very painful, especially to people who have been used to riding roughshod over others. Bullies.

Ideology is dead, you see. There is only the ideology - of making money. The campaigns for office have been not about improving peoples’ lives. One side people knows that by saying they want to fight and improve the lives of their people, the candidates were actually meaning the lives of their own bank accounts and that of their families.

We have a start. But, come 2015 people will ask what development has been introduced in their constituencies. That’s a good start. If there is nothing to show for it, then they should be kicked out and make way for those more capable of delivering!

The genie wakes up!

After more than 40 years of being subjected to outrageous doses of chlorophorm and other sleep inducing substances, the Tanzanians are waking up from a decades a long stupor. People, especially the youths, have decided to say that they have seen through the numerous farces and lies and they are going to do something about it.

After the elections, it seems not anymore. The people of Tanzania have said enough is enough. Basta - As the Italians would say when they have it up to their necks. The opposition numbers going to the Legislature have doubled to more than 50. Premier Mizengo ‘Pete’ Pinda has rightly been bounced back Very sexy, if you ask me.

I still don’t know about this democracy business in the CCM, when they bar men from contesting for the Speaker system. Still, I can breathe with Aunt Anna Makinda
in the Bunge and not some political dinosaur as Speaker.

Those ruling party MPs, who have been treating the Bunge like a well-paying and glorified air-conditioned guest house will have to wake up have been jolted to sanity after being kicked in the butt. More should be kicked out, now! The greatest victory for the majority of Tanzanians is the surprise realization – so it can be done then?

So a government of a bunch of clowns who have been acting as demi-gods can simply be removed by a vote? Indeed – who dares wins! The next thing is the knock-on effect. After last Sunday people have realized their own power.

Historically revolutions have been festered, reared and sparked from the cities. It is in the cities where you get the glaring inequalities in society and it is in the cities where you get a radicalized populace, eager to sacrifice themselves.

The changes in Bongo have started in Dar es salaam, Mwanza, Mbeya and other urban centres. In Mbeya they have even said it is better to hire a DJ than listen to the empty crap every five years.The genie has woken up and will never go back into the bottle. Everyone with anything upstairs knows that.

Some of us have sought refuge in cynicism. It seemed hopeless. That the country is being run mostly by a bunch of con-men masquerading as men of honor? Our country has been run by mostly thugs in suits brazenly standing there and telling the people that their grinding poverty and hopelessness is, eti, progress and development? That, having their kids sitting on floors in dusty rooms and a school comprising of one teacher is progress? All this while the thugs in suits are exporting their children to decent schools in foreign countries.

Tanzanians have watched with impotent anger as their country is being raped financially. in EPA, Kagoda, Deep Green robberies and nothing has happened. They have been told that their government will do something about it. Nothing. Zilch.

Presently the rape of Tanzanian’s forests continues and the poaching in the country’s national parks is going on unabated and people who perpetrated that crime were actually seeking political office. The rule of impunity will have to end.

We expect a howl of protest to nepotism and cronyism, which have been endemic in government and its promotion of numbing mediocrity.
I am sure that a Bunge with a combination of the likes of Tundu Lissu, Mheshimiwa Mnyika, Anne Kilango, Harrison Mwakyembe among others will quicken the blood of millions of well-meaning Tanzanians.