In Tanzania yesterday it was a show of defiance as supporters of three main opposition parties assembled at the Jangwani grounds to pressure President Jakaya Kikwete nd his ruling party CCM not to endorse amendments to the Constitutional Review Bill but return it to Parliament for further debate.
The flag-waving supporters mainly from Chadema and CUF flocked to the grounds as early as noon.
While awaiting the arrival of their leaders, they sang, danced, and chanted: “Constitution-making is exclusively for CCM but for all Tanzanians.”
The much-awaited moment came when a convoy of 23 cars entered the grounds at 3:45 pm dropping chairmen of NCCR James Mbatia, CUF’s Ibrahim Lipumba and Chadema’s Freeman Mbowe. The rally was preceded by prayers. Evangelist Zachary Kakobe of the Full Gospel Bible Fellowship was the icing on the cake at yesterday’s joint opposition rally here to drum up support for the rejection of the Constitution Review Act amendment Bill.
Archbishop Kakobe, who has raised political temperatures in his sermons now and then, was a surprise guest at Jangwani grounds in Dar es Salaam as opposition leaders sought to galvanise the public around a campaign to have President Jakaya Kikwete return the Bill to Parliament for improvement.
Chadema national chairman and leader of official opposition Freeman Mbowe, Civic United Front leader Ibrahim Lipumba and NCCR-Mageuzi chairman James Mbatia said the bishop and other well-meaning Tanzanians were welcome to the campaign. Thousands of party enthusiasts mingled freely in a show of solidarity that brought together the rival parties as pressure mounted on the President not to sign the Bill that should be on his desk by now.
Archbishop Kakobe arrived at the meeting to cheers from the huge crowd. He was in the company of Ubungo MP John Mnyika. Security teams had a tough time escorting the guests to the dais. Archbishop Kakobe said he joined the movement for the sake of the nation and advised against “lightweight politics”.
He added his voice to the chorus asking President Kikwete to reject the Bill and have it amended.
“In its current form, the Bill lacks legitimacy and should not be signed into law unless we arrive at a consensus,” said Bishop Kakobe. No party should have more than 50 per cent say in the forthcoming Constituent Assembly, he added.
Prof Lipumba said the opposition wanted a people-centred constitution-making process. “This can only be attained through equal representation in the Constituent Assembly,” he added. “I’m sure that even the President himself is not comfortable with what his aides have been doing. He should be wise enough and heed the people’s wish.”
Mr Mbowe reiterated that opposition MPs would not take part in any House business to do with the process unless the clauses that have been proposed are accommodated. For CUF and Chadema that was a minor reminder of affairs back in the 2000 General Election when Chadema didn’t nominate a presidential candidate and supported CUF’s Lipumba for the top seat.
However, with deep divisions among Chadema, CUF and NCCR after the 2010 General Election and the formation of official opposition camp in Parliament by Chadema alone, it was impossible to imagine more than a year ago that the parties would share the podium.
It so happened yesterday, a shared struggle for the new constitution that NCCR championed from the early 1990s, and CUF took over from early 2000s and now finally Chadema They are feeling cheated by the ruling party, after its MPs, who are the majority in Parliament, passed contentious amendments.
To everyone who made it to the stage yesterday, the salutation was uniform, praising the three parties and cursing CCM.
To Mr Peter Elias, a Chadema supporter who put on Chadema khaki dressing and waved a CUF flag when it comes to serious national interests, political differences do not count.
“We can argue about whose ideologies are the best, but that is subjective and makes us who we are as parties…Constitution, however, defines us as Tanzanians; we have seen the process is corrupted and that will affect the entire country not only the opposition,” he said.
His point of view was shared by Mr Ali Makame, a CUF supporter, who said opposition parties had one thing in common: taking the government into account when it goes to the wrong side.
“CCM MPs don’t wish this country the best. They used their numbers in Parliament and we are here to use our voices and urge the President not to endorse the madness.”Opposition parties, however, wanted something bigger and more colourfull than what they had managed to achieve. The earlier plan was to start with a big demonstration but police banned that and allowed only the rally.
Mr Mbowe, Mr Mbatia and Prof Lipumba held a five-hour long meeting with Inspector General of Police Said Mwema on Friday and agreed to give them security.
The opposition leaders vowed to extend the movement all over the country and their next stop would be Zanzibar. This is the road CCM is going Vacation trip to Morocco.
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