Party democracy and ideological orientation: an inquiry into the extent of democratic participation and ideological struggles in TANU's Post Arusha Declaration National Conferences

The National Conference of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) is the largest and most representative organ of the Tanzanian political system. This study examines the effect on democratic political participation in this organ of TANU'S commitment to the ideology of Ujamaa and self reliance. Chapter one sets the hypotheses methodologies and techniques of the research. Chapters two and three develop an argument to the effect that since the adoption of the ideology of Ujamaa and self reliance democratic political participation has been on the decline. Chapter four develops an argument that the commitment by TANU leaders to the ideology of Ujamaa and self-reliance has been on the rise since the adoption of Ujamaa and self-reliance. Chapter five links together the findings on the declining trend of democracy with the rising trend of ideological commitment and argue that the rising trend in the latter had been partly responsible for the falling trend in the former. It pinpoints the increasing role played by delegations from strategic organizations such as the Youth and Affiliated Organizations (YAOS) and the increasing discipline within the party conferences itself, as the specific features in the trend of increased ideological commitments responsible for the decline of democratic political participation. Chapter 6 is the conclusion.