TANZANIA: PRESIDENT KIKWETE PUTS NATIONAL UNITY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 000018

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EFIN PHUM TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA: PRESIDENT KIKWETE PUTS NATIONAL UNITY,
ZANZIBAR, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH AT TOP OF HIS
POLICY AGENDA

REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 02339


B. DAR ES SALAAM 02322

C. DAR ES SALAAM 02321

Summary
--------------

1. Promising an administration with "New zeal, new vigor and
new speed," President Jakaya Kikwete delivered his first
major policy address to the newly sworn-in Tanzanian
parliament on December 30. Speaking frankly about the
challenges he faces, he made poverty alleviation and economic
growth his top priorities, then spoke at length on his
strategy to cement national unity among all Tanzanian ethnic
and religious groups. He spoke with particular passion about
Zanzibar, emphasizing his resolve to bridge the sharp
political divide between Pemba and Unguja, and asking all
Zanzibaris to work together "to leave history behind" and
make Zanzibar a viable economic and political contributor to
the Union. There was also an anti-corruption message:
Kikwete stressed the foundation of all his initiatives would
be good governance, and that he would demand accountability
and transparency from officials at all levels of government
and campaign finance reform for future political campaigns.
End Summary.


2. President Kikwete challenged the parliamentarians to
seriously look at campaign finance reform, outlined his plan
to review the process of contracts and government
procurement, and appealed to the Public Ethics Commission to
ask each public official, elected or appointed "to account
for our assets and wealth." The President stressed that his
plan will be an "inclusive economic growth" from nomadic
cattle herders to IT developers. In broad strokes he
enumerated how his government will support agriculture, small
and medium businesses (SMEs),the health and education
sectors, social services and improvements in energy and water
delivery. He focused on tree planting as the linchpin to
halt environmental degradation in Tanzania and called on both
local governments and the private sector to initiate
reforestation campaigns. He acknowledged that the details of
his agenda in all areas would be outlined once his cabinet is
in place. (Details on the new cabinet members, announced
January 4, to be sent septel).

Economic Empowerment, Education, Unity
--------------

3. President Kikwete stressed his top goal would be to
provide opportunities for Tanzanians to contribute to the
steady growth of the economy. He stated that his
administration would modernize Tanzania and take its citizens
"out of the morass of a still backward and dependent
economy...by empowering Tanzanians to fight poverty."
Kikwete outlined a ten-step program to reach that goal in
agriculture, health, support for small and medium
enterprises, energy, water, industry, tourism, environmental
conservation, cooperatives and social services. He pledged
to make good on his campaign promise to create one million
new jobs over the next five years throughout all these
sectors.


4. President Kikwete stated education was the cornerstone to
reach his objectives to strengthen national unity and to open
up economic opportunities. He proposed establishing 2,500
magnet secondary schools with students from all over the
country attending ("Pan-Territorial Secondary Schools") as
well as to establish a new public university. The President
requested that religious-based private schools consider
accepting students from other faiths. He also promised to
work toward strengthening inter-religious and inter-political
party dialogue at all levels by appointing a Minister of
State to guide this national dialogue. He stated that the
nation's founder, Julius Nyerere, had "molded them into one
nation with one identity;..yet, now there is a fear...that
some want to take us back to where we came from and
discriminate on the basis of tribe, color, religion or place
of origin." He said that neither discrimination nor division
would be tolerated within his administration.

New History Needed for the Union and Zanzibar
--------------

5. While apologizing to Parliamentarians for the need to
speak frankly, Kikwete expressed his distress at the
polarization of politics in Zanzibar, especially between
Pemba and Unguja. "The recent election results have once
again brought into sharp focus this polarization;...we cannot
run away; we must confront it now. Human beings do not have
to be the prisoners of their history." He noted that Pembans
have taken full advantage of economic and business
opportunities both in Zanzibar and the Mainland. "How can
they (Pembans) on the one hand integrate fully into the Union
national economic space and yet be so detached when it comes
to the Union national political space?" He called for the
cooperation and support of Zanzibar and Tanzanian political
leaders and said he stood by to "initiate and facilitate a
broad dialogue on the political future of Zanzibar." While
ready to start with the Muafaka Accord, if this would not be
helpful "then we will look for alternate strategies."

Good Governance At All Levels
--------------

6. President Kikwete stated that a hallmark of his
administration would be good governance, transparency and
accountability. "We will respect the rule of law and the
principle of separation of powers between the three
branches." He promised to address the root cause of
corruption, by increasing the salaries of public officials in
step with economic growth, by making government
decision-making and procurement transparent, and by
strengthening the Prevention of Corruption Bureau, the police
force and judiciary branch. He promised to focus
particularly on the systems of contract tendering and
enforcement. "The time has come to close the loopholes on
contracts..." Also, he promised to tighten accountability
mechanisms so that "public officials do not use their offices
for personal gain or self-enrichment."


7. Kikwete challenged the 331 Members of Parliament (MPs) --
among whom nearly fifty percent are beginning their first
term as an MP -- to closely examine campaign financing. He
expressed his concern about the "notion beginning to emerge
that political office can be bought" and cautioned elected
officials to "ensure that our country will not one day be
mortgaged to finance someone's desire for high office" by
calling for a national dialogue on transparent campaign
finances. The President also stressed that good governance
includes high standards to deliver public services
efficiently: "The citizens deserve and must get better
delivery service from the government." He promised to
establish a Commission on Public Service Remunerations to
create strategies to both improve service, pay levels and
other benefits.

Defense and Security
--------------

8. President Kikwete outlined in broad strokes his goals for
national peace and security including to:

-- improve the working environment for defense and security
organs.
-- ensure the armed forces are disciplined, loyal, well
equipped.
-- improve the capacity of law and order forces to combat
crime.
-- finalize the preparation and issuance of national
identity cards; and,
-- step up efforts to repatriate refugees.

He emphasized that Tanzania will continue to work closely
within East African Community (EAC) committees to fast track
the creation of the East African Federation until this "dream
is realized," while at the same time continuing to work
cooperatively with the South African Development Collective
(SADC).

Comment
--------------

9. President Kikwete's speech was hailed by the Tanzanian
press as the longest, most comprehensive policy address to a
new parliament by a Union President. Kikwete made a
compelling case for national unity and took on the commitment
to search for a new approach to narrow the rift between Pemba
and Unguja and between Zanzibar and the Mainland. On
December 31, Seif Sharif Hamad, the Secretary General of the
Civic United Front and President Karume's opponent in the
October 30 Zanzibar presidential elections, told the press
that CUF "accepted" the new president's offer to find
solution to the Isles problems. In his January 1 address to
all Zanzibaris, President Karume also promised to support the
Union President's efforts to reduce political tensions.
Assistant Secretary Frazer pressed all three leaders on
Zanzibari reconciliation during her December 19-23 visit to
Dar es Salaam (reftels),and we will continue to reinforce
her message with them.


10. While President Kikwete's economic goals are ambitious,
at least he begins his five-year term with the "good news" of
debt relief from the International Monetary Fund. His strong
message on good governance, especially to review the system
and processes of government contracting and procurement,
indicates his awareness of underlying causes that may have
hindered Tanzania's economic development under previous
administrations. Both the new Speaker of the Parliament,
Samuel Sitta, and the new Prime Minister, Edward Lowassa, are
long-time confidantes of Kikwete, and many new faces appear
in his cabinet that he announced on January 4. For now,
these steps bode well for a change not only in style but
substance during the first term of Jakaya Kikwete's
presidency, and we are sanguine that a new corner is being
turned both for Tanzania and Tanzanian relations with the
United States. But only time will tell.
DELLY