Autocracy Political co-existence impedes our aggregate development.

By Frederick Fussi, May 17 Dar es Salaam.

I’m of an opinion that Tanzanian’s political co-existence is characterized by autocracy of the ruling Party CCM. This autocracy emanated from few people’s interest into the system whose political power appears legitimately granted to them through elections.

The Current debate of the Constituency Assembly has proven my opinion.  Before even approached the house, the ruling party had already issued a party standing regarding the CRC second draft of the new constitution.

The issue I address here is neither the goodness nor the badness of the CRC second draft of the new constitution but the political will of the ruling party on the issue. The ruling party expressed the political will for the land to device its new constitution but the will remain too autocratic.

The ruling party standing on the issue of number of governments is a clear autocratic decision ever made in Tanzanian democracy where there is co-existence of other political parties.  The issue of number of governments as originally presented into CRC second draft of the new constitution was an opinion of citizen and not politicians.

Could the CRC decide to take a side from political parties opinions over the number of governments, without doubt the ruling party with 5 million national membership coverage could have succeed to have in place the existing system of two tier government, whilst more than 30 million people in the land would have been ignored and denied their rights by the CRC to participate in constitution making.

This existing political autocracy denies marginalized voices to be heard, and to effectively participate in decision-making process. Taking an example of each financial year budget planning. Constructive criticism offered by the opposition camp through parliamentary debates gives a narrow room for their recommendations to be taken aboard for improvement of existing national priorities.

Therefore in aggregate, this tendency of unnecessary political autocracy impedes our development, due to inadequate accommodation of alternative views into national plans annual, and budget being one of them.

The political autocracy has become a culture that slows down the development pace, differences in political ideologies should not be a reason of not accommodating constructive criticism. Changing the culture of political autocracy requires a generational attitude change initiative.  Changing a culture cannot be an overnight initiative, it requires time and more learning. The ruling party needs to be open to learning, young people into the ruling party have a role of changing the game to bring that change. More than half of adults and old people in the ruling party today shall not be alive in the next 50 years, what shall be our situation then, if we are not learning to change right now? This is exactly the right time to begin our generational change. And learning shall obvious remain an act of sowing a seed that the next generation must reap. 

Five faces reflected from the plea of increased allowances by the Constituent Assembly members

By Frederick Fussi | 21 February 2014 

Many Tanzanians have different opposing views following the appeal of Constituent Assembly members about their argument of lowly paid allowances.

I have been so much tempted to share my views concerning the matter because of two main reasons.

Firstly, I did my undergraduate research on the impact of allowances on organizational performance; the case study of Ilala Municipality. Secondly, the argument of CA members shall enable the public to understand my theory on the relationship between resources and leadership. Today I will not embark on the former reason but the later.

My theory on resources and leadership asserts that resources are obvious scarce and leaders’ ability to allocate resources fairly to their people is naturally strong but leaders artificially choose to become weak at the expense of opportunities, life pressures and attitude and hence vice versa is true. You therefore need to have leaders who choose to remain strong in whatever pressing situations.

The CA members are naturally strong to accept the allocated allowances but they became weak over the opportunity they got to write our new constitution, life pressures that the allowances are inadequate for them to survive in Dodoma and attitude that they think to deserve an increased pay.

I see their argument into five faces. Firstly the nation and its government is suffering from a severe lack of money to adequately finance its activities including descent allowances for the CA members. This is because the best assumption remains that; if they were decently paid they would not lament. This is enough to illustrate that most Tanzanians aren't paid decently.

Secondly, CA members are portraying a true image on how most of Tanzanians are poor income earners. A primary school teacher paid Shs. 300,000 per month is ironically represented by a CA member lamenting that Shs.300, 000 per day paid in a total of 70 days to 90 days is a low payment. A critical lesson should be drawn here.

Thirdly, there are many other Tanzanians whose voice of being lowly paid have not been adequately amplified, therefore the CA members should not forget that many of us are also lowly paid and thus they should write the constitution with an agony of low payment of allowance and consequently write the citizen centered constitution that cares about well-paid salaries.

Fourthly; it also portrayed an image of how we Tanzanians are not serious with important issues. Instead of the CA members to concentrate on the important issue of writing the strong and lasting constitution they are moved by personal interest on asking increased allowances.

Fifthly, it portrays that we did not need the new constitution and that our problem was not the new constitution rather our genuine need is equitable and fairly share of the national cake among Tanzanians. The allowances of all CA members in aggregate would make more than 10 billion; this is a national cake, worth to be wisely shared with a justified cause and writing new constitution is one of them.

The fight over increased allowances is an indication that the roots of our problems are rarely addressed as they appear to be.  One needs a critical eye to debate over the this issue. This should be an alarm over the upcoming elections in 2014 for local government and General Elections in 2015, we need to get leaders whose eyes day and night are looking at the roots of our problems. Knowing the root of the problem is to solve the problem ninety nine percent, one remaining percent is obvious the conclusion chapter of the solution.