2015 elections have redrawn political map
Voters await their turn to vote in the latest elections. Parliamentary constituency poll results have changed Tanzania’s political map, by realigning opposition and ruling party strongholds. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Indeed, basing on statistics the election was one of the feistiest contested since the re-adoption of multi-party political system although opposition coalition, Ukawa and its supporters are likely to defer with the perspective.
Dar es Salaam. Political commentators and analysts predicted last month’s General Election results to be close.
Indeed, basing on statistics the election was one of the feistiest contested since the re-adoption of multi-party political system although opposition coalition, Ukawa and its supporters are likely to defer with the perspective.
The election result posted the best performance by the opposition both in civic election, parliamentary election as well as presidential election. Chadema Ukawa backed presidential candidate Mr Edward Lowassa garnered a total of 6.07 million votes (equivalent to 39.97 per cent) against CCM candidate Dr John Magufuli’s 8.88 million votes (equivalent to 58.46 percent) to topple the opposition previous best performance record.
Mr Lowassa’s performance toppled the previous record set by the then NCCR Mageuzi presidential candidate Mr Agustine Mrema who scored 27.77 per cent in 1995 and that of Dr Willibroad Slaa, who scored 27.05 per cent in the 2010 when he was Chadema presidential candidate.
Apart from being competitive the election was also unpredictable especially when it comes to parliamentary seat. Although both the ruling party CCM and the opposition have managed to retain most of the seats in their strongholds the opposition has also managed to win in some regions where it had failed to do so since the first elections under the multi-party political system.
For example the opposition managed to flex its muscle in the Northern Zone regions and other major towns after claiming many seat than the ruling party.
The opposition won 14 of the 23 parliamentary seats in Arusha, Manyara and Kilimanjaro regions. CCM took eight constituencies while no election was held in Arusha Urban constituency after the recent death of the parliamentary aspirant. The city has been under the opposition for years.
The opposition also won in major towns and cities. In Dar es Salaam the opposition under their coalition Ukawa won six parliamentary seats against CCM which won four. Ukawa was also victorious in Mbeya urban, Iringa urban and Bukoba urban as well as in Kigoma urban to name just a few.
However, the opposition lost their grip in Mwanza and Simiyu regions after it lost all of constituencies it won in 2010 but one. Chadema only managed to retain Ukerewe constituencies after CCM reclaimed Maswa East, Maswa West, Itilima (formerly known as Bariadi West), Nyamagana, Ilemela and Bukombe.
Nonetheless, the opposition has managed to win for the first in some of the regions that it never won since 1995. The regions include Morogoro, which was regarded one of the ruling party fortress, where the opposition won in three constituents-Mikumi, Kilombero and the newly formed Mlimba. The opposition also won its first ever seats in Tabora and Tanga after CUFs’ candidates Ms Magdalena Sakaya and Bakari Mbarouk Mussa won in Kaliua and Tanga urban respectively.
CCM maintained its supremacy in the central zone regions after it claimed all constituencies in Dodoma, Singida and Tabora serve for the two which was won by the oppositions.
Some political analysts, who spoke to Election Platform, analyzed the result. According to University of Dodoma lecturer Mr Paul Loisulie most of rural voters have maintained their loyalty to the ruling party while the situation is quite different when it comes to urban voters.
“Urban voters are very volatile basing on the result of just concluded election; with development of science and technology which has simplify access of information to those who live in urban area it becomes much difficulty for CCM to convince voters in urban areas,” said Mr Loisulie.
This year’s election brought to light the question over voters’ loyalty as some of big guns in the 10th assembly for example Mr David Kafulila lost their seats despite his performance.
According to Mr Mwasa Jingi many voters especially those in rural areas are loyal to political parties especially CCM. In his column in The Citizen on Sunday, Mr Jingi argued that the rural voters’ loyalty to CCM is due to the false notion instilled to them that if they will vote for the opposition Tanzania will fall into conflicts.
