Political parties, CPC agree to explore avenues

BERNARD LUGONGO

FORTY African political parties have agreed with the Communist Party of China (CPC) to make notable effort to explore development avenues in line with specific national conditions so that they continuously broaden a road for all humans.

During CPC dialogue with the World Political Parties High-Level Meeting Africa Thematic Event, which ended in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, the parties also resolved that political parties play their guiding role to the full and become leading agents for national development.

The meeting further came out with a common view that the CPC and African parties must set a shining example of a new type of party-to-party relations through enhanced mutual learning. “Notable effort has to be made to further promote China-Africa cooperation in the new era and build an even closer community with the shared future for China and Africa,” according to a communiqué from the two-day conference.

When closing the meeting on Tuesday, Zanzibar Second Vice President Seif Ali Iddi said incumbent leaders ought to remember the effort made by the founders of African nations. “Attaining economic liberation will only be achieved if we strive to combat corruption and embrace accountability and hard work in our countries,” he told participants.

On economic freedom he said there was every reason to borrow a leaf from the CPC, which had managed to attain it in a short period. “If there can be a World Cup to award winners in economic liberation, no doubt that it will go to China,” he joked.

He appealed to the participating political parties in the meeting to do something about the implementation of the resolutions reached at the meeting in their respective countries. “It’s my hope that this meeting has laid the foundation for strengthening unity between the CPC and African political parties,” he noted.

When opening the meeting on Tuesday, President John Magufuli appealed to China to broaden its markets for products from Africa, particularly from the agricultural sector. Dr Magufuli remarked that time had come for the two partners to raise their relationship to a higher level, focusing especially on the continent’s economic liberation.