The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, ) is the dominant ruling party in Tanzania. It was formed in 1977 from a merger between the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), which were the sole operating parties in mainland Tanzania and the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, respectively. It has formed the majority government in Tanzania ever since, making it the second-longest ruling party in the history of Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia.
TANU and its successor CCM have ruled Tanzania uninterruptedly since independence. The party has been described as authoritarian. Although opposition parties have been legal since 1992, the CCM rules the country as a virtual one-party state. Since the creation of a multi-party system, CCM has won the past seven general elections in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025. Jakaya Kikwete, its presidential candidate in 2005, won by a landslide, receiving more than 80% of the popular vote and John Magufuli as a candidate in 2020 garnered over 84% of the vote. In the 2020 election, the CCM won 256 of the 264 constituencies, continuing to hold an outright majority in the National Assembly.
History The party was created on 5 February 1977, under the leadership of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the Founding Father of Tanzania (then Tanganyika) through the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), the ruling party in Tanganyika, and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), the ruling party in Zanzibar.
TANU/CCM has dominated the politics of Tanzania since the independence of Tanganyika in 1961. Due to the merger with the ASP, from 1977 it has also been the ruling party in Zanzibar, though there its grip on power has been more contested since the mid 1990s by the Civic United Front (CUF) which was later superseded in dominance on the islands by the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT).
From its formation in 1977 until 1992, it was the only legally permitted party in the country. Every five years, its national chairman was automatically elected to a five-year term as president; he was confirmed in office via a referendum. At the same time, voters were presented with two CCM candidates for the National Assembly or Bunge. This changed on 1 July 1992, when amendments to the Constitution and a number of laws permitting and regulating the formation and operations of more than one political party were enacted by the National Assembly.
The CCM's Zanzibar branch (the former ASP) has historically been significantly more authoritarian than its mainland counterpart, a situation that has remained the case even after opposition parties were legalized in 1992.
Ideology Originally a champion of African socialism, upholder of the system of collectivized agriculture known as Ujamaa and firmly oriented to the left, today the CCM espouses a more mixed economic approach. CCM hopes to continue to modernize in order to ensure: Increased productivity which would boost the country's revenue Increased employment and improved management Acquisition of new and modern technology Increased and expanded local and international markets for our products, and; Improved and strengthened private sector serving as the engine of the national economy while the government sharpens its focus on provision of social services, infrastructure, security and governance of the state.
Similarly, the CCM's major foreign policy focus is economic diplomacy within the international system, and peaceful coexistence with neighbors.
Under John Magufuli, who served as President of Tanzania from 2015 to his 2021 death, the party moved in a left-conservative direction, prioritizing conservative values, including prominent anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. His successor, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has maintained some social conservative viewpoints as well.
Electoral performance and support base The CCM has a leading role in society, and had held power even after opposition parties were legalized. Empirical analysis has shown that a sense of nostalgia for a party which brought independence, and which has maintained relative peace is a major cause of the CCM's support base; age had no significant determinant on loyalty to the CCM. The party has strong support from subsistence farmers.
The party has won all presidential elections at both the national level and in Zanzibar at the autonomous level under the multi-party system: 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025. Its candidate have only dropped below 60 percent once, in 2015. It also dominates the legislature, maintaining a supermajority even in the multiparty era.
In the elections for Zanzibar's presidency and House of Representatives, held on 30 October 2005, incumbent president and CCM candidate Amani Abeid Karume won with 53% of the vote, while the party won 30 seats out of 50.
In the national elections for Tanzania's presidency and National Assembly, held on 14 December 2005, Foreign Minister and CCM candidate Jakaya Kikwete won with 80.28% of the vote. Out of the 232 seats filled through direct election, the CCM won 206.
On 31 October 2010, Jakaya Kikwete was reelected president with 61% of the vote, while CCM obtained 186 out of the 239 directly elected seats.
CCM was admitted into the Socialist International as a full member at the SI's spring congress on 4–5 February 2013.
On 30 October 2015 John Magufuli of CCM won the election with 58% of the vote, to date the lowest vote share claimed by the CCM or its predecessors.
In the 2020 Tanzanian general election, incumbent president and CCM nominee for president John Magufuli secured reelection with over 84% of the vote, making it the party's largest victory ever since the multi-party system was introduced in 1992. However, the election was held in the midst of significant democratic backsliding and repression, as Magufuli's presidency was characterized by unprecedented attacks on the opposition, civil society and press.
Leadership
Current leaders Samia Suluhu Hassan is the current Chairperson of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi following the death of John Pombe Magufuli, the former Chairman and President of United Republic of Tanzania.
National leaders Chairwoman: Samia Suluhu Hassan Vice Chairman Zanzibar: Hussein Mwinyi Vice Chairman Mainland: Stephen Wasira Secretary General: Asha-Rose Migiro Deputy Secretary General Zanzibar: Mohammed Mohammed Deputy Secretary General Mainland: Anamringi Macha Secretary for Organisation: Issa Ussi Secretary for Party Ideology and Publicity: Amoss Makalla Secretary for Party Affairs and International Relations: Ambassador Rabiah Secretary for Economic Affairs and Finance: Dr. Frank George Haule Hawassi Secretary General Wazazi – Ally hapi Secretary General UWT – Jokate Mwegelo Secretary General UVCCM – Jokate U. Mwegelo
National Chairman Name Tenure Julius Nyerere 1977–1990 Ali Hassan Mwinyi 1990-1996 Benjamin Mkapa 1996–2006 Jakaya Kikwete2006–2016John Magufuli2015–2021Samia Suluhu Hassan2021–present
National Vice Chairman (Mainland) Name Tenure John Malecela Pius Msekwa 2007–2012 Philip Mangula 2012–2022 Abdulrahman Omar Kinana 2022–2025 Stephen Wasira 2025 – present
National Vice Chairman (Zanzibar) Name Tenure Salmin Amour Amani Abeid Karume ? – 2012 Ali Mohamed Shein 2012–present
Secretaries General Name Tenure Pius Msekwa 1977–1982 Rashidi Kawawa 1982–1990 Horace Kolimba 1990–1995 Lawrence Gama 1995–1997 Philip Mangula 1997–2007 Yusuf Makamba 2007–2011 Wilson Mukama 2011–2012 Abdulrahman Kinana 2012 – May 2018 Bashiru Ally 2018 – April 2021 Daniel Chongolo 2021 – present
Electoral history
Presidential elections ElectionParty candidateVotes%Result1980Julius Nyerere5,570,88395.5%Elected 1985Ali Hassan Mwinyi4,778,11495.68%Elected 19905,198,12097.78%Elected 1995Benjamin Mkapa4,026,42261.82%Elected 20005,863,20171.74%Elected 2005Jakaya Kikwete9,123,95280.28%Elected 20105,276,82762.83%Elected 2015John Magufuli8,882,93558.46%Elected 202012,516,25284.40%Elected 2025Samia Suluhu Hassan31,913,86697.66%Elected
Bunge elections ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment1980Julius Nyerere5,417,099100%New1st1985Ali Hassan Mwinyi4,768,997100% 10 1st19905,007,027100% 10 1st1995Benjamin Mkapa3,814,20659.22% 50 1st20004,628,12765.19% 29 1st2005Jakaya Kikwete7,579,89769.99% 21 1st20104,641,83060.20% 11 1st2015John Magufuli8,166,20355.06% 7 1st20208,830,791 75.65% 90 1st2025Samia Suluhu Hassan N/A N/A 33 1st
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