The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Faraja Jube And Damas Kanyabwoya, Dodoma
5 November 2008
The National Assembly in Dodoma yesterday unanimously passed a special resolution congratulating United States President elect, Mr Barack Obama.
The Speaker Samwel Sitta told Members of Parliament who are attending the 13 meeting of the House that he will submit the resolution to the Government for forward it to the White House.
Mr Obama, the Democratic Party presidential candidate defeated Republican's John McCain to become the first Afro-American president ever in the history of the super-power.
The president-elect, Mr Obama, the 47-year-old son of an American mother and Kenyan father, become one of the youngest presidents-elect since independence in 1789.
His win has galvanised the world with messages sent from all continents.
Moving a motion in Parliament, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, Mr Wilson Masilingi, said apart from congratulating Mr Obama and his running mate Joe Biden, he also praised McCain for conceding defeat.
Contributing to the motion, Bariadi East MP John Cheyo said politicians in Tanzania should draw lessons from the just ended US presidential election that national interests should be accorded high priority instead of partisan politics.
On his side, Mtera MP John Samwel Malecela congratulated Mr Obama and the Democratic
Party, saying the great challenge ahead of him is to make sure there is peace and the world is made a safer place for all.
Mr Malecela expressed his optimism that the United States will extent and maintain cordial relations with Tanzania through its embassy in Dar es Salaam.
Earlier, Speaker Sitta said results for the historical presidential election has made history not only for Afro Americans, but for Africa and East Africa region in particular, because he has roots here.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (Policy Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs), Mr Phillip Marmo also joined the Speaker in congratulating the US president-elect.
Prof Philemon Sarungi (Rorya-CCM) said Mr Obama's victory means a lot to Tanzania because African-American emancipation and the 'walk for freedom' movements very much inspired Tanzania's former President Julius Nyerere back up the liberation of the whole of the African continent.
He said Nyerere was in constant contact with leading figures of the African-American movements like Martin Luther King Junior and Malcom X during the early years of struggle in the early 1960's.
It is such struggles that enabled president-elect Barack Obama to realise his dream. Prof Sarungi added that despite himself being taught by Barack Obama's father at Bugema Missionary College in Uganda in the 1950's, the grandparents of Mr Obama's grandmother, Sarah, came from northern Tanzania Luo tribe.
President Obama's grandfather was also a cook in Zanzibar at an unspecified period. He said Obama has therefore some origins from Tanzania through her grandmother.
Meanwhile, news from Rorya said president-elect distant relatives were celebrating the victory of one of their most successful sons by slaughtering goats and cows and drinking local brew known as 'Apuchi'.
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