GENERAL elections constitute one of the most crucial seasons of virtually all countries where democratic principles apply.
The reasons need not be belabored, but it would be helpful, by way of a reminder, though, rather than disclosing new information, to touch on some of them.
In a democracy, an ideal situation is when the majority of the people are governed by individuals for whom they vote into key positions through expression of free will.
Granted, it never happens anywhere, where a given candidate can muster an absolute victory at levels ranging from the grassroots to the top-most position, the presidency.
However under the principle of the will of the majority of voters holding sway, whoever garners the highest number of votes emerges victorious.
By extension, those for whom the victor wasn’t the preferred choice are supposed to accept the verdict. Here-in lies the principle of the majority’s will carrying the day. Tanzania fits into that scenario.
The country has a vibrant electoral system, which is one of the most outstanding components of the broader multi-party system that the country embraced in 1992.
We have, over the years, witnessed aspects like some candidates in constituency polls being defeated by competitors from opposition parties.
One of the advantages of the system is that, whichever the ruling party is, is supposed to be consistently on its toes.
Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), is pretty much alive to this fact, because casualness would cost it that status. It is a status, though, that is not CCM’s monopoly.
Any other party may acquire it if mobilizes the electorate to back it . Hence the political competition towards attainment of that goal.
Crucially, however, the playing field has to be level, so that whichever emerges victorious would be deserving the honour.
That is an aspect on which much attention is being addressed, as Tanzania is gearing up for the General Election slated for towards the end of this year.
That’s the backdrop against which the US government, through the country’s embassy in Tanzania, should be viewed.
It has expressed delight over the recent assurance by President John Magufuli, that the forthcoming general elections will be free, fair and transparent.
Given his “not-mincing-words’ approach, the assurance by the top-most leader who also doubles as CCM’s National Chairman is apt !
