Saturday, December 5, 2009

Is the country loosing its direction or fallen apart?
By Deogratias Kishombo
As the nation eyes the general election in the forthcoming year 2010, last week various political stakeholders and analysts of different circles raised their concerns quoted as saying ‘Kikwete administration has loosen focus or drift apart’ therefore there is a need to revisit fundamentals in the Arusha Declaration.

They argued that the so called ‘values’ is now remained a rhetoric in Tanzanian politics among the government officials saying that the core of the problem emerged after abandoning the pillars in the Arusha Declaration of 1967 as the late father of nation Julius Nyerere being the ‘architect’ of the publication saying that though ‘we have to go with times, there are some of fundamentals issues which still relevant today, said a lecturer and columnist from the University of Dar essalaam school of Journalism and Mass communication (UDSJM) Ayub Rioba on Friday

If not enough other analysts went far by saying that the current political trend in the country is ‘politics for money’ as most of politicians especially in the ruling party have entered into politics to make money and safeguard their ‘business interests’ added a journalist Mr Joseph Mwamunyange of The East African newspaper during a journalistic panel broadcasted by TBCI on Friday under the theme: The state of the nation in the media perspective.

Loose of patriotism
It was said that most of leaders in the fourth phase government of Jakaya Kikwete most of leaders have betrayed their nation saying that the recent scandals that had locked the government in mining contracts, grand corruption in public sectors and other menaces had shown lack of patriotism and there is no option ‘we should come back to Arusha Declaration’ said a lecturer of philosophy at the University of Dares salaam Dr Azavel Lwaitama as he was quoted saying last week.

Conflict of interests
It was also revealed that the current ‘fracture’ within the ruling party has never been in four decades after independence saying that there is a big difference and serious’ war’ among the ruling party due to the so called conflicts of interests as the business people in the party are busy trying to safeguard their business ambitions and the poor crying to revisit the party’s values and disciplines saying that the exchange of bitter words on the spot among the government officials the ruling party and the government the country is not ‘safe’ added Rioba.

Hypocrisy
“The government has full of hypocrites leaders who normally pretend to quote form Nyerere’s speeches and cheat citizens that they are clean, this is wrong” said Mwamunyange. He said that it has been difficult to know who is ‘telling the truth’ since everybody in the government was quoting from Mwalimu’s values but no vivid examples of implementation from their doings.

However, some of analysts believe that in order to rescue the government from falling apart they propose public debate and majority views on what they called ‘what basis the government should follow or new direction or what philosophies should guide’.

Think of donors?
It is a shame down the road in 48 years of independence for the government keeps on singing a song of ‘donors’ and actually this language does not makes sense saying we should take deliberate action to do for ourselves said Mr. Finnegan Wasimbeye. However, others political analysts said it was also a shame for the government wasting time to call foreign investors come and invest in agriculture the sector which Tanzanians can do for theirs.

“The government has reached a point where its people had been turned consumers of foreign products pretending that by doing so is the sign of modernity, this is fallacy” added another analyst who preferred anonymity.




Constitution reforms

Professor of politics at the University of Dares salaam, Mwesiga Baregu said that the government is falling apart due to constitution gaps and loopholes in the current document as the majority of people have been left aside in decision marking therefore most of African presidents as far as Tanzania as concern, the leaders are violating the laws making countries ‘ungovernable’

“We have to revisit our constitution and give powers to citizen who will be able to participate fully in decision making and the constitution that will serve the interests of the many” he said.

He said that many countries in Africa fought for independence in order to liberate the continent but few selfish leaders have turned the continent into absolute poverty and conflict because of their selfishness saying that failure to revisit our constitutions the situation would become worse rather than during colonial era.

The recognition of Karume government

Though other analysts said the decision for the CUF general secretary Seif Sharifu Amad declared few months ago to recognize the Karume government was a good sense of move but others had doubt that the agreement was between ‘individuals’ not parties saying that the solution reached was not for majority, therefore the impulse has yet solved.

“We saw violence among CUF supporters after Amadi’s declaration to recognize Karume’s government at a public rally, I think that was mutual agreement between the two people and the failure to consult many others will spark other misunderstanding in future “said Wasimbeye.

However, the analysts said though many media houses have been played a commendable job in boosting the government forward by unearthing grand corruption scandals, good governance, and human rights then still there is also few media houses which have been trying to safeguard business people who have entered in politics to protect their interests.

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