Dar es Salaam. The ruling CCM is expected to hold an extraordinary congress tomorrow to amend the party’s constitution “to meet present and future demands”.
Factors include the ongoing intra-party elections, the 2024 local government elections, and the 2025 General Election.
It will be the 17th time that the party will amend its constitution since its inception in 1977.
The amendment will take place five years since the last revision done under former party chairman John Magufuli, who was also Tanzania’s fifth President.
In what were considered far-reaching reforms, the number of National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Committee (CC) members was slashed from 388 to 154, and 34 to 24, respectively.
The party also halved the frequency of its annual internal meetings from the grassroots to national levels in what was said to be a decision meant to increase efficiency, and reduce the number of inactive leaders in various positions.
A source within CCM told The Citizen’s stablemate, Mwananchi, that the party would reinstate district chairpersons as NEC members due to weak implementation of party directives at the grassroots.
The source said there were delays blamed on late briefings, and failure to convey messages by regional leaders who attend meetings of the party’s top organs.
Furthermore, the source added, the amendment would also reinstate double roles for individuals holding sensitive positions, namely the Union and Zanzibar presidents, and make it possible for them to automatically take over as party chairperson and vice chairperson after assuming office.
“Former presidents Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete resigned to enable their successors to become party chairperson. However, Retired Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein didn’t opt to follow this trend after Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi was elected and sworn in as Zanzibar President. The amendments aim to make this mandatory,” said the source.
There were reports that the retirement request by CCM vice chairman (Mainland) Philip Mangula would be accepted, with former secretary-general Abdulrahman Kinana succeeding him in the position.
But ideology and publicity secretary Shaka Hamdu Shaka said yesterday that the congress’ agenda would be known after the NEC and CC meetings slated for today.
“However, Tanzanians should know that CCM will amend its constitution. There is no reason for the panic because these are normal measures aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the intra-party elections, 2024 local government polls, and the 2025 General Election,” he said.
A political science lecturer at the University of Dodoma (Udom), Dr Paul Loisulie, said reviewing tools, accommodating new things and removing outdated ones was a normal issue to a political party focusing at consolidation.
“However, I don’t support the presence of double positions because they weaken oversight role bestowed to some individuals in the government such as regional commissioners,” he said.
He attributed regular amendments to changes of country’s philosophy after changes of regime as it happened when former President John Magufuli was replaced by her Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan following his death in office on March 17, 2021.
“Reinstating issues dropped in 2017 indicates that reforms made in that year didn’t get support of majority cadres, members and supporters prompting for the amendment due to changes in philosophy after the new President Hassan assumed power,” he said.
But, Dr Loisulie was supported by a University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) lecturer, Dr Richard Mbunda, who said the 2017 reforms were prompted by austerity philosophy of the Fifth Phase government.
“Probably, the philosophy has been found to be unsustainable for the party, therefore triggering the expected reforms,” he said.
A senior lecturer from the University of Iringa, Dr Stephen Kimondo, said despite of referring reforms as normal, the move to reinstate things dropped in 2017 implies that something was wrong within CCM.
“It could be viewed that the amendments have been influenced by an individuals and party’s systems,” he said over the phone.
Regarding one person holding more than one position (double-position), Dr Kimondo said it was a wrong approach.
“This is because the head of CCM and the government need to be two different individuals like other countries like South Africa. This is useful in creating balance of power and strengthening accountability,” he said.
But a UDSM don, Dr Consolata Sulley, said scholars would be in a position of making in-depth debate on the topic after CCM has completed the said reforms.
“However, the self-assessment approach is commendable as it provides new direction, policies, laws and regulations,” she said.
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