Parties use state apparatus ‘to cling to power’, says CCM’s Bashiru
Dar es Salaam. The CCM Secretary General, Dr Bashiru Ally, said yesterday that ruling parties, which fail to use state apparatus to consolidate their stay in power should blame themselves because they have everything at their disposal since they have all the means to deliver to their electorate while in charge.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam at an event organised by IPP Media, Dr Bashiru, however, observed that the ruling parties should not use the state powers to mistreat their political opponents.
In recent months, opposition parties in Tanzania have raised concerns that the ruling party CCM was using state powers to ‘harass’ them, however, Dr Bashiru did not speak in reference to the outcry of the opposition.
He said the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) as well as the Zambia’s United National Independence Party (Unip) failed to use powers and the state relief leading them to their relinquishing of power.
“You are supposed to use the state to remain in power. If you listen to a wise man advising you not to do so, you will not resume into power the day you are replaced,” he said.
According to him, Chadema, ACT Wazalendo and CUF would also effectively use the state to remain in power, if they had been voted in office.
He explained that his role was to ensure the state was properly used to ensure CCM remains in power.
“Owning the state is a privilege to remain in power. That is the truth. It will be Chadema’s negligence, for example, to be removed from power if it happens that they win control of the state because that is a privilege and benefit of the ruling party,” he said.
“What is required is that the state shouldn’t be used to harass political opponents. But, it could be used to bring people to you like what happens during the war where tanks and firearms are seized abducted and the same are used to attack enemies. Therefore, those waiting us to be weak, will wait for a very long time.”
Despite his statement that state shouldn’t be used to harass political rivals, leaders of political parties have been blaming the CCM government for mistreatment, restrictions to hold political activities, arbitrary arrests by police and arraignments.
Main opposition political parties also boycotted various by-elections of November 24, 2019 civic polls following looming irregularities.
But, Dr Bashiru believes that the ruling party has privileges to use the state powers in building trust to voters in order to remain in power.
According to him, that was what President John Magufuli was doing by sacking reckless public officers, tight supervision on expenditure of public funds and improve tax collections in order to ensure CCM remains in power.
