by Phyllis Johnson in Dar es Salaam – SANF 05 No 116
Ten candidates contested presidential elections in the United Republic of Tanzania on 14 December, raising questions in some quarters about whether the nomination conditions are too lenient.
In order to qualify as a presidential candidate, a man or woman must meet age and party affiliation criteria, and provide evidence of 250 supporters, with 25 signatures from each of the 10 regions. No previous experience is required.
One presidential candidate who has been crisscrossing the country in a helicopter, with political coaching provided by Britain’s Conservative party, is Freeman Mbowe of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema). He is a businessperson with a diploma in education, and represented Hai constituency in Kilimanjaro region in the previous parliament.
His critics say that in not travelling by road he failed to interact with people living in rural areas and see their problems. The attendance at his rallies has been questioned by the media, as to whether the candidate or the helicopter was the attraction.
The candidate of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema, did well in 1995 with another party, NCCR-Mageuzi, and less well with TLP in 2000. This time, he blamed the voters for betraying him.
Mrema, a former home affairs minister who contested the 1995 elections as leader of his own party, chastised the voters for not choosing him previously.
“I wonder why you have not given me votes to become president despite my impressive record as home affairs minister,” he told a rally in Dar es Salaam broadcast live on radio and television. “I worked as deputy prime minister, which means I was boss to Mkapa and Sumaye, still you chose not to elect me president. Why?
“Some voters are hypocrites,” Mrema said. “They proclaim to support you but vote for other people. If you do not vote for me this time, you will have to explain.”
Some of the other candidates have less experience, and one of them, Christopher Mtikila of the Democratic Party, was not able to vote, even for himself, as he is not a registered voter. He said he was “not around” during the voter registration exercise as he was in the United States, but he predicted that his party would win at least 43 seats in parliament.
There is one woman contesting the presidency, newcomer Anna Senkoro of the Progressive Party Tanzania-Maendeleo. She has not received endorsement from the network of groups lobbying for women candidates, because they question her credentials and party preparations.
Another challenger who has contested presidential elections for the third time is an academic. Professor Ibrahim Lipumba of the Civic United Front (CUF) did a first degree and post-graduate degree in economics at the local university, and then another Masters and a doctorate at a university in the United States.
He was an associate professor at the University of Dar es Salaam for seven years, and served as personal assistant to the second Union president, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, for economic affairs, before returning to the US as a visiting professor.
He, too, has failed to win the confidence of the voters on two previous occasions in 1995 and 2000, but predicted victory for himself this time around, on the basis that his main obstacle, the incumbent Benjamin Mkapa of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), is not contesting the election.
When Mkapa was selected a decade ago as CCM presidential candidate, he already had 30 years experience in the party and more than 20 years in government. He was elected President of the United Republic of Tanzania in 1995 with 62 percent of the popular vote, and increased this to almost 72 percent the second time he faced the electorate in 2000, indicating the positive popular response to his integrity and his focus on improving the economy.
Mkapa credited the founding president Mwalimu Nyerere with establishing the national ethic, the common vision and the values which form the bedrock of Tanzanian society.
Nyerere, who died on 14 October 1999, set the agenda of liberation, democracy, and common humanity in his vision for the continent, and was a key figure in the African struggle against colonialism.
After a period of building national unity through the single-party system, Nyerere led the transition to multi-party politics and stood down as president in 1985. The second president, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, also from CCM, served two terms after winning the first multi-party elections.
On this foundation, Mkapa prioritised economic development, stabilising the macroeconomic environment and the exchange rate, widening the space for local and foreign investment, and reducing inflation to single digits.
The presidential candidate of Mkapa and the CCM in this election is Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.
Kikwete, 55, has 30 years experience in the party starting with the youth league, and has served 23 years on the National Executive Committee and nine years on the Central Committee. He has been a Cabinet minister for 17 years and won election three times to represent the Chalinze constituency in parliament. He has a degree in economics from the University of Dar es Salaam.
Kikwete has said that, if elected, he will defend the gains of the Mkapa administration, expand employment opportunities, and strengthen the education system.
