Opinion
Analysis
Reuniting gestures from Bush
and Kerry
“A second term gives opportunity to reach
out to the whole nation,” said President George W. Bush when the election had
been decided. The loser John Kerry on his part stressed that he would do
whatever he could to lessen the party political tensions.
This was what they were supposed to say. Being polite is a trademark for both
winners and losers. And yes, it is possible to unite the US after a
heartbreaking election campaign. Bush can include Democrats in the new cabinet.
He can also avoid nominating the most conservative candidates when the members
of the powerful High Court are to be replaced.
The problem is that Bush has spoken about unity before. After the last election,
when he got 500,000 fewer votes than Al Gore and came to power after a court
ruling, many believed that he would start his term in office cautiously. He
should, it was said, hurry slowly to avoid rubbing salt into the country’s
wounds.
Bush did the exact opposite. He presented an ambitious programme that for
example included substantial tax reductions. He did not shy away from nominating
controversial judges.
To a great extent that is his style. Both in domestic and foreign policies he is
driving a narrow agenda. If the policies backfire, he does not falter, but comes
back with renewed power and vigour. Of course this might all change. A president
has a significant room for action during his second term in office since a
re-election is not part of the plans. But his election promises must have
bearing on the policies during the coming four years.
One example is the significance many of the voters gave to moral values. There
are research that shows that one fifth of all the voters thought moral values
were the determining factor for their choice – similar figures go for the
economy and security.
Can Bush, who has put moral values high on the agenda, ignore these voters’
expectations? Can he afford to let down the conservative right, who went in
great numbers to the polls?
But of course there are possibilities for the president to avoid a strict
polarization. Looking at the map over the election results one finds a divided
country where the Democrats are winners in urban areas and along the coasts
while the Republicans are winners in the other states.
However, one could argue that the divide is a daydream. Yes, there are strong
feelings on both sides, there are Democrats who cannot stand the sight of the
president and there are a divide between cities and countryside.
But, according to some analysts, Bush and Kerry strengthened the picture of a
divided country by focusing on their own core voters. The average American on
the other hand is somewhere in between the two. Political or religious extremism
only appeal to the few.
That Bush has emerged stronger after the election is obvious, although it was a
close call. Bush got three million more votes than Kerry, and the Republicans
are now in the majority in the congress’ both chambers.
The future is open for George W. Bush. He can set the tone. He is the one who
can “reach out to the whole nation”. Let it be that many doubt his ability to
take the chance he has been given.
Auspicious start to Serengeti
Boys’ mission
Tanzania’s Under-17 national soccer team,
Serengeti Boys, convinced soccer fans of their ability to beat Zambian team in
their African Youth Championship first leg match, after drawing with the
unbeatable Simba.
Played over the weekend at the National Stadium, the match was a build-up
exercise for the crucial encounter, to be held at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka,
Zambia.
The players displayed incredible soccer skills despite having limited days of
training together. Taking in consideration that Zambia is one of the African
countries with better international record than Tanzania, it is only through
added commitment and motivation that Serengeti Boys can make this mission
successful.
However, as the team coach Abdallah Kibaden once told the media, the preparation
cost ahead of their tough mission and travelling expenses of the team to Zambia,
comes to about Tsh.45 million, which is far beyond the reach of the team.
The nationwide appeal through both print and electronic media to individuals,
public institutions and companies to support the team’s trip, needs to be taken
seriously if we are patriotic enough.
In Kenya, they call it Harambee - it has worked effectively. The ministry or
department responsible for the team contacts every member of the society,
companies and institutions for the contribution and from small and mall the
exercise brings something at the end.
Let’s say if 5000 people countrywide contribute Tsh.10, 000/-each, it will make
Tsh.50m within a short time. Companies and big investors can contribute even far
higher than the said amount.
Probably the bad record in the misuse of public funds, might be the main reason
why Harambeee system does not work in Tanzania.
Learning from how effectiveness of Kenya’s former President, Daniel Arap Moi in
running this campaign public contribution. Surely we can have our own system,
which may, in future, save our national teams from similar shame.
In this regard, the authorities must turn their eyes to the dirt campaigns by
some people, claiming to be Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) officers. The
officers, whether genuine or fake, harass those who donate and sponsor sporting
events whenever they learn of their backing.
National teams are every Tanzanian’s responsibility and the government should
work closely with sponsors to ensure their sponsorship does not become a tool of
harassment.
Mungai’s credibility tainted
By Evarist Kagaruki
Sometime in the early1990s, while on a flight
from Mwanza to Dar es Salaam, I sat next to an expatriate from one of the Nordic
countries, who was working on a water project in Mwanza Region. After exchanging
greetings in Kiswahili (which he spoke with some impressive fluency) and making
brief introductions about ourselves, and having realised that we shared the same
world outlook (he was a social democrat and I was a socialist), we delved into
politics, focusing on matters of common interest relating to both our countries.
He told me he had been working in Tanzania for about three years, during which
time he had come to know many good and bad things about the country which he
said he loved so much! He candidly pointed out some of the bad things he had
experienced, as: rampant corruption, bureaucratic red-tape in government
departments, the ignominious laziness of the local people (referring mainly to
workers), and the profligacy of politicians, bureaucrats and technocrats.
He said that although these problems were to be found almost in every developing
country, he found the situation (especially regarding corruption) to be more
serious and frightening in this country. And specifically on corruption, which
dominated our discussion, he summed up his impressions thus: “Everything in
Tanzania is possible, provided one has got the money”!
Those words, which carry a true and heavy message, have always made me very
uncomfortable.
When, in 1998, the National Form Four examinations leaked all over the country
and had to be redone, those piercing words of my fellow passenger were still
very fresh in my mind. I tried to relate them to the serious scandal the nation
was facing at the time – a scam many people believed was possible due to
corruption.
And last week, when I read in the newspapers about the no-longer-shocking news
of yet another Form Four exams leakage in various regions in the country, those
words and their underlying message rang a bell.
Examinations just don’t leak like water leaks in a bucket with a hole at the
bottom. Their leakage is induced. Examination papers are supposed to be in the
custody of senior government officials who are entrusted with the responsibility
to ensure that since their print they remain a top secret under lock and key
until the day and time when a particular examination paper is to be done.
Normally, the seal on the exam papers is supposed to be removed and the papers
opened right in front of all concerned – the candidates, invigilators etc. When
an exam has leaked, this whole process becomes irrelevant.
Leakages of examinations can only happen in countries like ours where corruption
is rampant and accountability is seriously lacking. Those who have read the
Warioba Commission Report on Corruption seriously will agree with me that the
leakage of examinations (at any level) is essentially part of the whole corrupt
system of education in the country.
To deal with such a serious problem (of exam leakages) which threatens to
destroy the life of the entire nation, the government must first tackle
corruption vigorously – something which, I am sorry to say, has not been done.
Following the 1998 exams leakage, heads should have rolled in the Ministry of
Education (and especially in the National Examinations Council of Tanzania –
NECTA). That did not happen; and that is why it is still business as usual!
The Minister for Education and Culture, Joseph Mungai, says after the 1998
massive exams leakage several steps were taken which minimised “to zero” the
leakage of examinations while in the custody of NECTA. And, if my recollection
is correct, Mungai had, in the wake of that mammoth scandal, told the Tanzanian
public that if national exams were to leak again while he was still in charge of
education, he would take responsibility and resign.
Now, who can take our good Minister seriously anymore? Of course no one ex
pects him to step down, since accountability seems not to be in the culture and
blood of our present-day leaders. But people are intelligent enough to see the
credibility gap between the Minister’s words and deeds, even if he adamantly
continues to deny that the Form Four exams have been leaked this year.