Tanzania: Party system and one party dominance

Extracted from: Grant Masterson 2009 "Chapter 13: Tanzania and Zanzibar" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 519-520.

The major recurrent themes which have dominated the political landscape in Tanzania since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1995 tend to focus around three major issues, namely: (1) the nature of the political union between Zanzibar and the mainland; (2) disputes around the election results in Zanzibar since 1995, but in particular the 2000 elections results; and (3) the possibility of secession of Zanzibar from the Union and that of Pemba Island from Zanzibar. On the mainland, an additional issue which tends to feature in each subsequent election is the dominance of the CCM in the political landscape of the political establishment, with opposition parties repeatedly complaining about the lack of a level playing field and the difficulties inherent in a dominant party system.

The CCM (and before it Tanu), as the incumbent ruling party since independence, is a socialist party by ideology, and was responsible under the leadership of former president Julius Nyerere for the ambitious socialist experiment known as ujamaa, which sought to create communes in which collective advancement was the primary purpose of the individual. Ujamaa has also been referred to as African socialism, based on Nyerere's desire for a model of socialism based on African cultural norms and values.

The opposition CUF has been the largest opposition party in both the National Assembly and the Zanzibar House of Representatives since 1995, and draws the majority of its support from the Arab and Muslim communities on Unguja and Pemba islands, and some coastal areas of the mainland. Its political platform seeks greater political autonomy for Zanzibar within the political union, and has been accused by the CCM of promoting secessionist agendas.

Of the other political parties in Tanzania, 18 of which competed in the 2005 elections, Chama Cha Demokrasia na Mandeleo (Chadema) party, which supports the promotion of social democracy in Tanzania, and the National Convention for Construction and Reform (NCCR-Maguezi) party, which promotes a developmental agenda, have won a number of seats in the National Assembly at times. The Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) and Tanzania Democratic Alliance (Tadea) have also held seats in the National Assembly.