Africa-Press – Tanzania. A CROSS-SECTION of analysts in the country have mentioned good leadership setup, adherence to constitution and regulations as among reasons that have made Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) to remain a strong political party in Tanzania.
They said the mentioned pillars have also contributed highly on the move by CCM to install President Samia Suluhu Hassan as the party’s national chairperson, becoming the first woman to hold the top position since its establishment in 1977.
Ms Samia is taking over the seat that was left vacant following the death of the former Chairman, the late Dr John Magufuli who was promoted to glory on March 17 this year.
During the extraordinary congress of the ruling CCM on Friday, Ms Samia was voted in by all 1,862 members.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News’, analysts said the secret behind CCM’s all-time successes, among other things, fall on the proper leadership and discipline within the party.
A University of Dodoma lecturer, Dr Paul Loisulie said CCM has a good network of leadership from grassroots to the national level, a move that has enabled it to be recognised across the country.
He was of the view that unlike other parties, CCM has spread in all villages and wards; in this case, it has been easy for it to win elections and be trusted by Tanzanians.
“Moreover, CCM has a predictable system of choosing its leaders, the process is done by considering all democratic procedures as a result of continuing winning public trust,” he noted.
For his part, Dr Zacharia Malima of the University of Dar es Salaam mentioned the inability of the opposition parties to nominate quality candidates during elections as among the reasons for CCM’s continued victory.
According to him, CCM has always been nominating influential and competent candidates, and placing proper systems for transfer of power.
“Some of the opposition parties have been under the chairmanship of a single person for a long time. In political parties, there must be a recession plan,”.
“But in CCM there is trust and respect for the constitution, regulations and tradition,” he noted, adding that political parties need to have a recession plan that would allow smooth transfer of power.
The views were in support of what was said by an Assistant Lecturer of Mzumbe University, Mr Jerlum Kilumile, who was confident that CCM’s constitution, regulations and its tradition that allow the President to hold duo responsibilities was the key factor for its all-time success.
He was positive that CCM has built a bold philosophy and tradition through which the party has been able to win the confidence of Tanzanians.
“The fact that the party’s constitution and trading allows the president to also serve as its chairperson has enabled the party to perform better,” he noted.
For CCM, the endorsement and installation of President Samia to the chairmanship of the party becomes a continuation of a series of transition of power that the party has been observing.
In doing so, all former presidents had also served as the party’s national chairperson, and this has been a tradition that CCM has been observing for decades.
A list of CCM former chairpersons has the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere (1977-1885), Ali Hassan Mwinyi (1986-1995), the late Benjamin Mkapa (1996- 2005), Jakaya Kikwete (2006-2016) and the late Dr John Magufuli who served the party from 2016 to 2021.
