New dawn: Tanzania's opposition parties issue dates for rallies

Dar es Salaam. Following the lifting of the ban on political rallies announced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, opposition parties; the Civic United Front (CUF) and Chadema have issued dates for launching countrywide rallies.

While the CUF national chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, will be launching political rallies today at the Bakhressa Grounds in Manzese, Chadema is set for their first rally on January 21, 2023.

However, in a quick rejoinder, Police Force spokesperson David Misime said the law enforcers are ready and well organised to manage gatherings that would be slated by all political parties in the country.

According to him, their involvement in the provision of security will largely depend on prior information to hold a meeting as directed by the laws of the country.

“As the Police has promised major operational and disciplinary changes under the leadership of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Camillus Wambura, citizens should expect to see wisdom and prudence exercised in carrying out our duties without affecting the law, peace, stability and unity of our country,” he said.

Yesterday, CUF, through its deputy director of planning and elections Yusuph Mbugiro, said that the party was expected to deliver some of its priorities to the public during the meeting.

“We are going to hold productive meetings. Already, zonal, wards and district leaders have been instructed to organize public meetings in which national leaders will be invited to attend,” he said.

“From Saturday, January 7, our first meeting will be organised by the Ubungo District. The meeting will be followed by a series of other gatherings across the country,” he added.

He said that the opposition party will not seek permission, but rather inform the law enforcers of their intention to hold rallies in certain places: “We don’t expect to face restrictions based on what has usually been referred to as intelligence reasons …”

Chadema, through its Protocol, Communications and Foreign Affairs director John Mrema, has said that the Central Committee (CC) has expressed its satisfaction with the ongoing discussions with the ruling party of CCM during its recent meeting.

According to the public statement, the CC has blessed the continual discussions following the achievements that have been recorded.

“The CC also announced that the party’s official launch of public rallies will take place on January 21, 2023. The launching will be followed by similar public meetings at every regional headquarters,” reads the statement in part.

“Rallies will then trickle downwards to ground root levels. The CC has instructed all other levels to continue with preparations for commencement of public rallies,” adds the statement.

The statement says that the decision was made during an emergency meeting of the CC held on Thursday, January 5, 2023.

The meeting was convened to receive and discuss the reconciliation process that involved Chadema and CCM through the leadership, that being its national chairman Freeman Mbowe and the ruling party’s vice chairperson, Mr Abdulrahman Kinana.

The ban on political party rallies was imposed by the late President Magufuli in 2015 in his first address to Parliament in Dodoma, saying they had an economy to build.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, met with leaders from 19 registered political parties where she gave orders to lift the ban.

The President acknowledged that the rallies were legal and that political parties has the right to run them. The President also noted that her government had planned to fulfil its responsibility to protect all political rallies.

According to Dr Amos Mpole, a political science expert, political parties must realize that the government may be testing their credibility by allowing them to hold political meetings.

“If they make a mistake, for example if they find themselves using insults, or raising issues that are against the existing laws, one party at a time will now be punished according to its conduct during public rallies,” he explained.

However, he said that the police force is still required to administer the law and do justice.