BY EDITOR
2nd August 2015
In fact it is exactly three months away even though the process began a few months back during intra-party nominations.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the general elections this year are proving to generate unprecedented struggle within the individual political parties, in the opposition camp, specifically the so-called UKAWA, and the opposition in general against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). The battle lines are soon to be drawn after the nomination processes within the parties are completed.
The wish of almost all Tanzanians (except, of course, those with warped minds) is to see a clean and fair election battle between those fighting for a single post at all levels, starting from the Wards (Councillors), Constituencies (MPs), to the Presidency of the United Republic. To achieve clean, free and fair elections, all the stakeholders need to be patient, tolerant and calm.
There are many elements of destruction which can render the whole election exercise null and void, bringing the country not only to shame, but also to an unparalleled mayhem; among them, and perhaps the most dangerous agent of destruction in this case, is corruption in all its forms.
Fortunately, the country has in place an agency tasked with the duty of contending with this multi-fanged dude called corruption - the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, popularly known by its acronym PCCB or TAKUKURU in Kiswahili, run by a seemingly no-nonsense gentleman called Edward Hosea.
Tanzanians have already witnessed the Bureau at work during the intra-party nomination processes in various areas, and those who wanted to use their financial affluence to lure people to vote for them or their friends found it difficult to carry out their craft openly. As usually is the case, a few incidents of the vice may escape the eye of the Bureau. But generally, its mere presence makes a difference.
Statistically, the Bureau reports that as of Friday this week, it had received 28 graft cases in Kinondoni alone concerning elections. The Bureau is yet to release country-wide figures which we think must be scaring considering the trend.
“We will be everywhere this year, in the effort of containing election corruption,” the Bureau chief was once quoted as saying.
Much as we pat the Bureau on the shoulder, we wish to remind the institution of its professionalism; that they must fully employ their professional skills and abide by its ethics to win public trust and confidence.
They must avoid exposing themselves to situations where the public will point accusing fingers at them being involved in the vice.
It is an open secret that the Bureau has on several times been accused being of involved in small and grand corruption deals. They must erase this image in the minds of the public.
We wish to remind them that they are not there for witch-hunting. We are sure under such circumstances they are bound to receive information of corruption deeds which are false, aimed at tarnishing the image of an opponent.
The Nape case at Mtama in Lindi is a case in point where the Bureau should act professionally.
Whether the victim was released or not, his name has already been soiled, needing a lot of efforts to clean it. We aver that this particular case was, to say the least, unprofessionally handled.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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