CCM and opposition Chadema candidates have denied voters an opportunity to understand better their manifestos by skipping a presidential election debate that was held in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, according to observers.
Although candidates have no legal obligation to take part in debate , the battle of ideas help voters make informed decisions just the same way they help politicians win hearts and minds of undecided voters.
Speaking to ‘The Guardian’ yesterday, political science lecturer from the University of Dar es Salaam, Bashiru Ally said the no show by CCM’s John Magufuli and Chadema’s Edward Lowassa may have come after the opportunity cost between hunting votes according to their campaign schedules and battling it out with fellow candidates on television with the latter having the risk of facing tough questions.
“It is very unfortunate that after the preparation that organisers did, the two front-runner candidates did not turn up,” he said:“This shows that the candidates were not ready to be grilled on a televised debate which would have come with some tough questions from the audience.”
Because the debate was the only opportunity for the candidates to show how competent they are, their ability to listen, to dialogue and to communicate, they may have dodged questions but also lost a good opportunity to sell themselves to the voters, he said.
Legal and Human Right Centre (LHRC) executive director Helen Kijo-Bisimba said political strategists of the two parties may have pondered and concluded that the campaign rallies at the grassroots would have brought them good political returns compared to the debate.
But she noted that voters are the big losers because rallies are the only reliable forums for candidates to directly interact with candidates and ask them questions, which did not happen with Magufuli and Lowassa who according to recent opinion polls, are the front-runners on Sunday elections.
“It is possible the parties are convinced that the crowds they draw in their campaign rallies are worthy maintaining compared to a debate,” she said.
“These big political parties have a tendency to take issues for granted because we once invited them during the launch of our Civil Societies Organisations Election manifesto 2015 but they did not turn up.”
The National coordinator of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), Onesmo Olengurumwa said most of leaders don’t want debates if the past experiences are anything to go by.
He said the absence of candidates from the two big political parties may have been because of two things; first , a likely revenge by the opposition parties that according to history in the previous elections wanted debates but the ruling CCM declined. Second , the opposition parties have no faith in some of the debate organisers that released opinion polls which were not in their favour.
He said some of organisers have been accused of favouring one side of the political party; but it is not fair to directly blame the presidential candidates for not attending the debate because they have been going across the country for campaigns to sell their manifestos to voters.
Former Controller and Auditor General (CAG) Ludovick Utouh said with absence of CCM and Chadema presidential candidates, the debate did not obey the thirst of Tanzanians who were glued to their television sets with the hopes of listening to their would-be leaders.
However, four parties namely Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), Alliance for Change and Transparency - Wazalendo (ACT-Wazalendo), Chama cha Ukombozi wa Umma (Chaumma) and TLP participated in the event that was broadcast live.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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