Why the CCM Is Still in Power in Tanzania? A Reply
Loading...
Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
In her article “Why the CCM won’t lose”, Melanie O’Gorman claims to have found a
puzzling dominance of the CCM in Tanzania. Using a survey conducted in 2008
amongst subsistence farmers, she notes that respondents tend to support the ruling
party despite the rural neglect. This article questions the methodology and contests
the key findings. It argues that the CCM’s dominance is a function of the incomplete
de-linking of the party from the state of the old authoritarian regime thereby
suffocating political space not only for the opposition parties but also for the
members of civil society in rural and urban areas. The electoral data from the 2005
and 2010 general elections indicate that the margin of votes across constituencies
for the CCM is in steady decline, thus challenging its dominance.
Description
Keywords
Tanzania, CCM, Dominant party, Elections
Citation
Makulilo, A.B., 2014. Why the CCM is still in power in Tanzania? A reply. CEU Political Science Journal, 9(1-2), pp.88-106.