Yesterday, the American Ambassador expressed great concern about the Tanzanian electoral process leading to the upcoming August 12 local elections. In its condemnation, the US government went as far as criticizing the Tanzanian Government on the act of violence, intimidation, and other irregularities geared to suppress the opposition. While Tanzania, like many African countries, has shortcomings with its electoral system, it’s bizarre however, to hear Trump administration lecturing Tanzania about the morality of conducting fair elections, abstaining from violence and showing respect to dissenters and opposition parties.
There is a saying in Swahili that states that it is a convenience for a monkey to point a finger at another monkey’s naked buttocks. This is especially prevalent when one considers the circumstances surrounding the USA’s 2016 general election, which up to date, is still being litigated and investigated by a special prosecutor. An election that even the President Trump himself has called a rigged election on numerous occasions.
Noteworthy, the then-candidate Trump, had publicly beckoned the Russians to hack the emails of his opponent to give his campaign a competitive edge. These circumstances have now revealed that President Trump’s son, Trump Junior, together with the son-in-law Jared Kushner, and his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, met with Russian operatives in the Trump Tower, New York City and the agenda of this meeting was to coordinate the means of crippling Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
President Trump has labeled the press and mainstream media “the enemy of the American people” and much of the news coverage, especially those that are critical of him as “fake news”. To add insult to the injury, he has continually undermined journalists by calling them disgusting, nasty and sick people. Ironically, the President of the so called “Free World”, Mr. Donald J. Trump has made a habit of encouraging his supporters to mock and attack the media and protesters at his campaign rallies physically, whilst the United States of America goes around the world throwing tantrums about how other countries are lacking in democratic values.
During the 2016 campaign, this GOP (Republican) nominee publicly insulted his opponents by calling them vile names, mocked disabled reporters, disavowed the POW and war veteran John McCain in addition to the alleged accusations that one of the candidate’s father was involved in the assassination of former US president. He kicked off his presidential bid by calling Mexicans rapists and later on as a president called on a Muslim ban to enter US. He has called women pigs and dogs, as well as wrongfully accused President Obama of not being born in the United States. He has proudly spoken about the size of his private parts, paid hush money to his mistresses while bragging about sexually assaulting women with impunity and getting away with it because of his celebrity status. Since he became the leader of the free world, he has shown no regards of the truth, or the freedom of speech. He applauses foreign authoritarian leaders while constantly denigrates US democratic allies. He uses his presidential power to intimidate his critics. The big question is: What entitles the United States, in this very day and age, where chaos and censorship has become the normalcy in its governance, to question other countries about their electoral system?
I get it! In the grand scheme of things, Africa can be and has been condemned of multiple mischiefs. However, coming from the current US administration is like listening to a chronic alcoholic friend preaching about the health risks of consuming caffeine. It is beyond irony. It is a cliché of sorts, one that brings to life the saying, “when you point a finger at me, remember you have three fingers from the same hand pointing in your direction”. It might just be the nature of things, but quite frankly, Africans are tired of it and should not stand for this kind of bullying and submission techniques to continue. We understand, Tanzania, has a long way to go in the democratic process, but the last thing it needs, is a country that elects the kind of president that Mr. Trump is, telling them about how to run its democratic process and electoral system.
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The United States is concerned by the conduct of by-elections that took place in Tanzania on August 12, 2018. Credible accounts of election violence and irregularities include refusal by National Election Commission authorities to register opposition candidates, intimidation by police of opposition party members, unwarranted arrests, and suppression of freedoms of assembly and speech in the lead up to the by-elections. Such actions undermine the rights that Tanzania’s Constitution guarantees its citizens and jeopardize peace, stability, and security in the country and throughout the region.
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