THE Monduli Constituency MP, Edward Lowassa (b. Aug. 26,1953), has been causing a political storm of gargantuan proportions across the Tanzanian political scene. This has especially been the case for his colleagues in their political stable, the Party of the Revolution (Chama cha Mapinduizi, CcM), sending same into a tailspin so that it fails to cope or react appropriately! The latest telling blow to CcM was from the Jan. 1, 2014 'get-together' which Lowassa organized at his homestead for 4,000 of his relatives, friends, allies and supporters! The man took that opportunity to spin out the Future, with himself at centre-stage - and, perhaps, at the helm as well - talking of his Dream and Hope of things to come: that the future can be made brighter, all things being equal… Perhaps not that surprising, many in the audience - including senior CcM officials - expressed sympathy and empathy for the man's journey of his dreams and hopes. They went further, publicly pledging support in realizing that Brighter Future... It wasn't/isn't clear what the Lowassa Dream and Hope is. Was the man dreaming and hoping to win the Spanish Christmas Lottery (Sorteo Extraordinary de Navidad), supposedly the world's largest, whose total prize pool in 2012 was euro2.52bn (US$3.297bn)? I don't know! Does he dream of, and hope to, be included in the Guinness Book of Records for some near-superhuman performance this side of Heaven? I don't know… What I know's that his detractors and denigrators jumped to the conclusion that Lowassa's Dream and Hope is to become Tanzania President post-the Oct. 2015 elections... Really? Well, 'Thinking' is one of the unalienable Freedoms and Rights of citizens the world over. But, the art and science of THINKING ARIGHT is a different kettle of fish altogether… As the American comedian and actor Milton 'Berle' Berlinger (1908-2002) so correctly deadpanned, 'you can lead a man to (the US) Congress; but you cannot make him THINK! Putting that in perspective here: you can give a politician the (theoretical) right and freedom to think; but you cannot help/make/force him to think correctly, accurately, positively, timely! One prominent (?) detractor, Samuel Malecela, is a former prime minister of Tanzania - just as Lowassa was before resigning in Feb. 2008! Utterly destitute of political camaraderie, Malecela went ballistic, melodramatically waving about a garment bearing the legend 'Friends of Lowassa' as he claimed that Lowassa was shamelessly gunning for the Presidency in the next elections! ['Mwananchi,' et al: Jan. 31, 2014]. Oh, there's been a lot of flak flying around in all directions since then. A few supported Malecela against Lowassa, on the stated grounds that the latter's single-mindedly pursuing the Presidency so early, so blatantly, so publicly and outside party channels, claiming this is highly detrimental to CcM. That's as may be... Another (and larger) School of Thought - notably including the veteran politico Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru - saw no problem in Lowassa (or, indeed, any other party cadre) flying their 'Presidential Ambitions' banner so early, so energetically, so publicly, so unequivocally. This, they said, is simply exercising one's freedoms and rights, natural, constitutional and otherwise! ['NIPASHE,' et al: Feb. 5, 2014]. So, where does that leave the protagonists, as well as the ruling party, Opposition parties, the Govt., Tanzanians - and the 2015 elections? In a leaking canoe up a creek without a paddle on a wet dark night, I say! In My Book of Things, the scenario's somewhat different! For starters: how sincere are the players on either side of the growing Political Divide within CcM? Are they sincere who oppose politicos perceived (rightly or wrongly) as hankering to clamber aboard the 2015 presidential bandwagon this early? The corollary to that is: are those supporting the developments sincere? Look at it this way... Several politicians - some still popular, others mere 'had-beens:' spent forces - have in recent times been exposing themselves in the best light they can as presidential timber. To spare them embarrassment, I won't mention them here... With the singular exception of Lowassa, who's been at the forefront as a doer-of-good every which way. Indeed, Lowassa is the Man of the Moment in the popularity stakes, from both the points of view of some CcM cadres and ordinary Tanzanians. To stop any aspirant for leadership in their tracks at this point in time from openly pursuing their perceived dreams and hopes - whatever they are! - translates into giving Lowassa tremendous advantage over the others. Freezing the exposure processes today leaves him the better-known, better-understood and better-appreciated presidential hopeful… This raises the 64,000-dollar Q: are Lowassa's 'detractors' censuring him in all sincerity, or inadvertently? Or is that a brilliant tactic in a strategy to deliberately create an advantage for him over his 'rivals?' Which one of the three 'explanations' (sincerely, inadvertently or tactically) is correct? Which one? I ask you! In My Book of Things, correct is the 'tactical strategy.' After all, it's been suggested that Lowassa is (currently anyway) the strongest-possible presidential option in the CcM stable, and to let other aspirants continue to roil the muddy waters could water him down 'irreparably,' QED... and Cheers!

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