Dar es Salaam. Inter-party conflicts in African countries threaten national development and project a negative image of the continent, particularly in Western countries, a regional meeting was told yesterday.
Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) Chairman James Mbatia said leaders should invest in peace through dialogue among themselves instead of counting on Western countries to intervene when conflicts broke out.
He was speaking in Dar es Salaam on the first day of the three-day regional inter-party dialogue that has brought together participants from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Tanzania.
Mr Mbatia, who is also chairman of the opposition NCCR-Mageuzi and a Nominated MP, said African leaders could prevent conflicts that were now synonymous with the continent by encouraging dialogue among parties and individual politicians.
He said the conflict pitting M23 rebels and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo was an example of strife caused by lack of dialogue in African countries.
Mr Mbatia said Africa should feel ashamed that Western countries frequently intervened to restore peace and harmony, adding that African leaders must strive to find lasting homegrown solutions to problems the continent was facing.
“Let us think, stand for what we believe in and let the rest of the world copy from us,” he said, and added that TCD was working to promote understanding among political parties in the country.
Mr Mbatia also decried the habit in some countries where presidents turned against their predecessors.
He said Tanzania, under the leadership of President Jakaya Kikwete, was doing a good job promoting interparty dialogue, although a lot still needed to be done.
Opening the meeting earlier, Constitutional and Legal Affairs Deputy Minister Angela Kairuki said interparty dialogue played a key role in developing multi-party democracy and competitive politics.
“Dialogues also reduce mistrust and hatred among parties as they are conducted in a transparent way at venues agreed by all the parties involved,” she said.
Ms Kairuki said although dialogue among parties was a new phenomenon in Africa, it provided an extra platform apart from parliament for political leaders to freely discuss issues of national importance.
She noted that Tanzania was at the forefront of respecting the rule of law and upholding democracy, adding that the government acknowledged and valued the contribution of political parties in building democracy before and after elections.
The deputy minister commended TCD for the important role it was playing.
Mr Pius Msekwa, former Speaker of the National Assembly and founding chairman of TCD, said political parties were gradually realising the importance of having dialogue with the government.
“The success of interparty dialogue in Tanzania is evident as things are slowly changing,” he said, adding that other countries should emulate Tanzania and establish organisations like TCD in their countries.
Mr Msekwa, who is also a former CCM vice chairman, said TCD was determined to bring political leaders together to discuss how to overcome various challenges that were impeding the growth of democracy in the country.
Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) Chairman Daudi Migereko, spoke out against the lack of appropriate forums needed to resolve conflicts in African countries.
Mr Migereko, who is also Uganda’s Lands and Settlement’s minister, said it was time African leaders learnt from experience and gave priority to preventing strife in their countries.
“There is a need to put into practice democratic measures to prevent conflicts to boost development on the continent,” he said.
Mr Migereko observed that it took a long time to rebuild countries and their economies after war, adding that this was evident in Libya and Egypt.
TCD was established in 2005, and brings together representatives of six political parties that have MPs in Parliament.
Non-parliamentary parties are regularly involved in activities organised by TCD, although they do not play a decision-making role.
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