The Multiparty Reform Process in Tanzania: The Dominance of the Ruling Party

The debate on the form and content of Tanzania's constitution and democ- racy has been on the agenda throughout the four decades of independence. In the recent process of transition since the 1990s, a series of political reforms such as introducing multi-partyism have been undertaken with the view of widening the space for democracy. This paper addresses several problems surrounding this transition. It argues that democratization is much more than the introduction of multiparty politics and debates the var- ious components of the constitution that are an obstacle to popular partici- pation including the monopoly of political parties in politics. The mainstay of democracy is for the people to have a say and power in their own lives and not to depend on the power of political parties.