Chama Cha Mapinduzi - Tanzania’s leading political party, modeled
on socialist and revolutionary ideology. The Communist Party of the Soviet
Union – the founding and ruling party of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR). The CPSU and CCM bear loads of similarities both in ideals
and philosophy. Although CCM would deny this, but just like the CPSU it’s organization
is based on Lenin’s concept of democratic centralism
and Vanguardism. This Marxist concept prescribes to consensus majoritarian
decision making within a political framework and in this case a political
party. Both parties were built on the background of socialist consciousness and
revolution. For CCM, formed in 1977 after the merger between the Afro-Shirazi
Party (ASP) of Zanzibar and the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) of
Tanganyika the idea of mapinduzi (revolution)
is heavily borrowed from the triumph of ASP in the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964
while the socialist consciousness is a legacy of the Nyerere philosophy of Ujamaa (African Socialism).
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| Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin |
I have been rereading Francis Fukuyama’s provocative work The End of History and the Last Man.
Fukuyama narrates the worldwide liberal revolution in the late 1980s asserting
that during that time both the communist Left and the authoritarian Right
became bankrupt of serious ideas capable of sustaining the internal political
cohesion of strong governments. It was at this time when Mikhail Gorbachev,
USSR statesman had been elected as CPSU’s
General Secretary after the death of Konstantin Chernenko. The USSR was
experiencing a wave of change as seen in the publishing of articles critical of
Stalin era in 1986. Press freedom expanded exponentially during that time.
Gorbachev was credited for introducing reforms in the political and economic
setting of the USSR as well as the foreign relations of the country.
Gorbachev’s reformist
agenda also saw a restructuring of the party where he replaced the old
gerontocracy with new faces. In this reform agenda he updated the party
philosophy and through Glasnost,
he expanded freedom of thought in the party including reforms aimed at reducing
party control of the government. These proposals included a new executive
mandate under a presidential format. In these reforms Gorbachev became the
President of the Soviet Union. Sweeping reforms also saw the perestroika
agenda, which meant restructuring. This involved restructuring of international
relations based on nuclear disarmament and the development of democracy.
Despite the reforms Mikhail Gorbachev was not able to prevent the
demise of the CPSU in 1991, which also marked the end of the Soviet Union.
Various theories have been fronted to explain the death of the CPSU under
Gorbachev. But one was the imminent rise of nationalism in the Soviet Republics
and the eventual failed coup in 1991 leading to his resignation.
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| Kikwete and Magufuli in Dodoma |
CCM just like CPSU has experienced turbulent times since its
inception in 1977. CCM’s turbulence in the 1980s was a result of disaffection
of the Union especially from the Zanzibar side. This turbulent time between
1983 and 1984 saw was called ‘crisis of the Union’ rocked the party leading to
the eventual downfall of Aboud Jumbe, Zanzibar’s second president and then
Union Vice President. When CPSU was going under in 1991, Tanzania was moving to
multiparty democracy. Tanzania which had hitherto been under single party rule
allowed multiparty elections beginning 1995.
Despite varying opposition’s forays in
five elections, CCM has remained a solid ruling party. It however faced its
biggest challenge in 2015 General Elections. The party was rocked by the defection
of its members including former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa who became the
opposition’s presidential flag bearer. Admittedly,
the party was grappling with internal schism, corruption and personality cults
within. The nomination of John Magufuli as CCM presidential flag bearer in 2015
somewhat averted the collapse of the party. Magufuli went on to clinch the
presidency of Tanzania and has since embarked on radical restructuring of the
country.
Similar to Mikhail Gorbachev, Magufuli upon been elevated as the
Chairman of the party in 23 July 2016, he outlined grand plans to restructure
the party. In his acceptance speech President Magufuli vowed to cleanse CCM. Unlike his
predecessor President Jakaya Kikwete, who is a CCM man through and through
having served the party on various leadership positions, President Magufuli is
an inexperienced novice in the party. He has not held any party position apart
from being a member of various party departments. As President Kikwete outlined
his service in the party during CCM party convention and later reading
Magufuli’s CCM profile, you could see the glaring disparity in terms of party
service. Regardless, Magufuli has been hailed as a technocrat and not a party
cadre.
Magufuli’s ‘perestroika’ as outlined in his speech includes
fighting party corruption, routing out disloyalty, revamping the party’s
constitution, weeding out unnecessary party positions and strengthening the
financial position of the party. Just like the Gorbachev’s reforms, Magufuli’s
proposals are noble and timely for the green party. Just like the conservative
elements within the CPSU which frustrated Gorbachev’s reforms, similar
dissidents exist within CCM who will not be happy with Magufuli’s plans.
Magufuli admitted that there exists of ‘ndumilakulwili’ or two-faced people
within the party who “support CCM during the day and Chadema during the night”.
The convention that brought CCM members to Dodoma to witness the elevation of
Magufuli as Chairman on 23 July 2016 seemed united but it is evident that there
are some factions that are not pleased with the pace of President Magufuli who
has even promised to move government activity to Dodoma in four years. The
party has also promised to bring on more educated people on board to steer the
party into new thinking and direction similar to Gorbachev’s plan. Will John
Magufuli face the Mikhail Gorbachev fate in his quest to cleanse CCM?
