Challenges for the Democratisation Process in Tanzania: Moving towards consolidation years after independence?

6. Sphere 3 and 4:Political Institutions outside the state. Media, NGOs, democratic culture and economic development

175 6 Sphere 3 and 4: Political Institutions outside the state. Media, NGOs, democratic culture and economic development In this chapter, we discuss a number of institutions outside the governmental structures that contribute to vertical accountability and hence are a fundamental part of the process to consolidate a more substantive democracy. I will present findings on different aspects of the civil society, the media, the NGOs and lastly on the democratic culture and inclusive economic development, the third and fourth sphere in the analytical framework presented in chapter 2, and in the segment of that framework in figure 7. In Tanzania, like in many newly democratising countries, media play a pivotal role for the democratisation process, hence we will put a little more emphasis on the media then the other two institutions analysed within the CSOs. We start with briefly situating the civil society theoretical context. In democratic theory, civil society it is usually defined as an arena of action and interaction, operating from spaces between the family, the state, and the private sector. It exists in the plural, as it is cross-cutting in its approaches to sectors and issues, and absorbent and reflective of a basically unlimited range of interests, purposes and influences, as discussed in chapter 2. As an arena of action and interaction, civil society is shaped, first, by the nature of the needs and interests it responds to, and, second, by the specific environment that determines its room for manoeuvre, for mobilisation, co-operation, articulation and influence. 176 JONAS EWALD CHALLENGES FOR THE DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS IN TANZANIA Figure 7 Sphere 3. Civil Society External constraints for Media External constraints for NGO’s PPs, CSOs, Medias, Cititzens access to information Independent media CIVIL SOCIETY Strengthened NGOs Democratic culture Internal constraints for Media Internal constraints for NGO’s Structure, media sector Structure, NGO sector Democratic values and procedures Chapter 6 Vertical accountability In liberal democratic theory the CSOs promote a democratic development in at least 13 different ways, as summarised by Diamond 1999 in box 2 below. CSOs are, together with the political parties, an important part of the vertical accountability mechanism. Civil society in Tanzania has been shaped by the history of authoritarian tradition from the colonial era and later on during one-party rule. For several decades, therefore , civil society was largely restricted to activity within the agendas and control of the state. However, some membership-based organisations and institutions developed during the first years of independence and later during the one-party era and expanded from the late eighties up to today. In a context like the Tanzanian one, where the civil society and opposition parties were weak after years of statist development, the media has come to be one of the major actors in the democratisation process. Hence we give a little more space to the analysis of the media sector and its role, its independence and some of the challenges the sector is facing. For democracy to be established it is necessary to establish the institutions of democracy , but is not sufficient. For consolidation of democracy, a democratic culture encompassing all actors, institutions and mind-sets is needed. The democratic culture is discussed in section 6.3. The economic society is discussed in 6.4. below. 177 6 SPHERE 3 AND 4: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE THE STATE. MEDIA, NGOS, DEMOCRATIC CULTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Box 2 13 ways the civil society promotes democratic development and consolidation of democracy: t
Checking and balancing the state; t
Supplements the political parties in stimulating political participation, increasing political efficacy and skill of democratic citizens and promotes an apprehension as well as rights of democratic citizenship; t
Education for democracy of citizens, organisations, state institutions and companies; t
Construct multiple channels, beyond the political parties for articulating, aggregating and representing interest; t
Effecting the transition from “clientelist” to citizenship, that is to strengthen “horizontal” relation of trust and reciprocity—and undermining “vertical” relations of authority and dependence, like patron-client relations; t
A rich and pluralistic civil society contributes to crosscut and mitigate longstanding political conflicts built on regional, ethnic, religious or partisan cleavages; t
Recruitment and training of new political leaders; t
Explicit democracy-building activities, like monitoring of elections, human rights and debates on issues related to democracy; t
Build coalitions to consult on and support economic reforms; t
Con...