CCM, legislators tussle: Is it internal division or apathy?

Dar es Salaam. Whether there is division within the ruling CCM or not is a question that probably won’t take long to be answered.

This is in connection with disciplinary measures that have been taken against three legislators of the ruling party, namely: Mr Josephat Gwajima (Kawe), Mr Jerry Silaa (Ukonga) and Mr Humphrey Polepole (Nominated).

The trio were last month grilled by Parliamentary Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee over separate charges before they were further questioned by CCM’s caucus at its headquarters in Dodoma.

Mr Gwajima and Mr Silaa have been suspended from attending two consecutive Parliament sittings after being found guilty of putting the House into disrepute and lying.

After the questioning, the CCM caucus handed its recommendations to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa who would table them before the party’s Central Committee (CC) for further action against the trio as suggested by Parliament.

The measures have raised concerns whether CCM has been split into several factions including that of pro-Covid-19 vaccine and those who don’t support the jabs rallying behind Mr Gwajima and Mr Polepole.

In the recent past, Mr Gwajima had engaged in a verbal tussle with Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children minister Dorothy Gwajima, with Mr Polepole supporting the cleric on social media.

Political pundits told The Citizen however that there was no division in the party but rather differences of opinion after citizens, cadres, members and supporters were left in dilemma due to sudden change of approach on Covid-19.

Others were of the view that instead of intimidating and making efforts to silence the MPs, CCM had to honour the lawmakers for expressing dissatisfaction of how some institutions addressed the issue of Covid-19.

But, in a quick rejoinder, CCM’s political affairs and international relations director Colonel (rtd) Ngemela Lubinga refuted the claims of division within CCM, saying the party remained strong.

He attributed changes on Covid-19 approach to variations shown by the virus, noting that the lawmakers’ questioning by different bodies aimed at trying to understand what they stood for from their utterances.

“Probably, their understanding could be more than what we know. This could happen to anybody, when it happens summoned persons shouldn’t be regarded as offenders,” he said.

“When someone is summoned by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), he/she shouldn’t be considered as being corrupt because the bureau might have been looking for information to contain vices somewhere,” he argued.

According to him, the suspension of the two legislators didn’t disqualify them as CCM members, rather the decision aimed to improve and strengthen their discipline.

For his part, University of Dodoma’s (Udom) political science lecturer Godfrey Sansa argued there was no division within CCM, rather citizens, party cadres, members, supporters have been left in dilemma due to the party’s failure to set a strong position on the pandemic from the beginning.

He said while ex-President John Magufuli relied on religion and tradition in fighting the disease, his successor President Samia Suluhu Hassan turned to science approach extended to vaccination as the rest of the world was doing.

“The two MPs (Mr Polepole and Mr Gwajima) can hardly change because that is what they believe. Therefore, extending measures against them is just victimizing the duo,” he said.

He said CCM and the government should issue a statement describing reasons for the sudden shift instead of remaining silent over its U-turn.

“The government should acknowledge that it took a false approach at the beginning instead of rushing at punishing and taking measures to silence the lawmakers,” he said.

He added, “After all, CCM has no leadership justification and moral commitment to punish the MPs on the matter. Instead, the lawmakers should be regarded as ‘heroes’ who pointed out where state institutions didn’t properly fulfil their duties.”

According to him, ministers who mobilized Tanzanians to abide by religious and traditional methods were the ones now campaigning for vaccination, something that has left citizens in dilemma.

“The political philosophy, logic, consistency and code of justification of change is completely missing,” he said, suggesting sociology, history, medics and political science experts to campaign for reinstatement of people’s trusts to jabs. He said the government should come up with research-based strategies in order to restore and promote future trusts on vaccination in case of future outbreaks.

Dr Sansa was supported by his State University of Zanzibar (Suza) counterpart, Prof Ali Makame Ussi who said there was no division within CCM, wondering the reason for what was happening.

However, he commended the CCM government for putting trust to science and the global approach on the fight against the disease, noting that the whole world has intensified war against the disease that has adversely damaged the economies.

“Taking the jabs is a voluntary decision. Moreover, advocates and those opposing vaccines are campaigning for what they believe in,” he said.

He said instead of intensifying verbal battles, the country is supposed to get united and focus on fighting the pandemic.

“However, authorities should provide citizens with detailed information on the cause for the shift,” he said.

But, a political science lecturer from the University of Dar es Salaam (Udsm), Dr Richard Mbunda, said what was happening was a test on CCM’s ability to amicably end its internal disputes.

“By some members going public over the vaccines, it was an indication that they are against the party policies. Therefore, CCM clear misconceptions on vaccines,” he said.

He said there was a need for a public debate between supporters and anti-vaccines to clear the atmosphere and widen citizens’ boundaries of choice.

“The use of force should be avoided. However, CCM is cultivating a culture to restrict its members to debates on sensitive issues,” he said.

According to him, the ruling party was supposed to focus on democratic consolidation and translate it with the country’s democratic maturity.

“Otherwise, there is no vivid evidence of an existing rift within CCM because coherence is still strong in the ruling party,” he said.

He said if there is something like that within CCM, then it is supported by a minority.

Dr Frank Kimaro of the University of Iringa (UoI) said contrasting ideas within CCM were a sign of maturity, advising that no reason for those contrasting opinions to be punished and threatened.

His UoI counterpart, Dr Stephen Kimondo said nothing was wrong for party members to have difference of opinion, noting that the variance is important for growth and maintenance of confidence among citizens.

But, a political commentator, Mr Buberwa Kaiza said CCM and its government had to outline a clear position on Covid-19 from early in order to protect its status and trust among citizens on issues of national interests.