Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan is the first female president in the country and first ever woman chairperson of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
She was elected unanimously by members of the Party’s national congress on April 30, 2021 in the political capital of Dodoma after CCM Central Committee of the National Executive Committee expressed confidence in her leadership, saying, she is the right person to fill the vacuum left by her predecessor, the late President John Magufuli.
On Friday of April 30, 2021 Ms Samia was elected the new CCM national chairperson by 100 percent after garnering 1,862 total vote casts.
The landslide victory was announced by member of the party’s Central Committee (CC) and National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai during the ruling party’s extra-ordinary meeting held at the Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre, thus becoming the first female chairperson of one of Africa’s oldest political parties.
Announcing the results, Mr Ndugai said the members were 1,876 and legal votes cast was 1,862, noting: “There were no votes against he, thus Ms Samia has garnered all the 1,862 votes, which is equivalent to 100 percent of votes cast.”
Prior to her endorsement, CCM Deputy Secretary- General for Zanzibar, Dr Abdallah Juma Mabodi told members of the CCM extraordinary congress that the party’s CC fielded Samia’s name to NEC to be voted as the party chairperson, because it had no doubt with her strength and ability to lead the party.
“Based on the fact that the party chairperson is a national leader, who reflects the image of the party to the public and is aware of the sensitivity of the post, the CC proposed her name because she is highly experienced on various leadership issues at national and international level,” Dr Mabodi said.
He further said Ms Samia has demonstrated good leadership qualities within CCM and during the entire time, she served as a senior leader in the Union and Zanzibar governments.
“She served as vice-chairperson of the Constituent Assembly and Vice-President in the period of five years…she also showed great maturity, ability, professionalism and competence within a short time, after she was sworn in as the sixth phase president,” Dr Mabodi pointed out.
Elaborating, the CCM Deputy Secretary- General for Zanzibar said the Central Committee has no doubt about her integrity, truthfulness and her affection to the party, adding: “She is also loyal and a strong supporter of the Zanzibar revolution, union and peace. Samia is also a guardian of democracy and a good patriot.”
Her political carrier begun in 2000, when the CCM chair was elected as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives for Special Seats, and appointed as Minister by President Amani Abeid Karume.
She was the only highranking woman minister in the cabinet. In 2005, she was re-elected and appointed minister, while in 2010, she contested and won by more than 80 percent and represented Makunduchi constituency.
In 2014, the then president of the Union Government, Dr Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office responsible for Union Matters.
In the same year, she was elected as the Vice-Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly that was tasked to draft the country’s new mother law.
In July 2015, the CCM Presidential candidate, the late Dr Magufuli named her as his running mate during the 2015 general election, making her become the first female running mate in the party’s history and the first female Vice- President in the country.
Ms Samia was nominated for the second time as Dr Magufuli’s running mate again in the 2020 General Election, and continued serving as Vice- President after her party won a landslide victory.
She served in the position for hardly five months before she was sworn in as Tanzania’s first female president, since independence following the death of her predecessor, Dr John Magufuli.
The 61-year-old Head of State, who was the only candidate, was unanimously elected by an extraordinary party congress held in the political capital Dodoma, which was broadcast live on radio and television.
Since her inauguration on April 6, her style of leadership made different political analysts to shower her with praise that she is a capable leader that would steer the party to implement its manifestoes and achieve goals.
Wherever President Samia has been conducting meetings with different groups as the head of state, as CCM Chairperson, she has consistently insisted that she is ready to defend democracy and fundamental freedoms.
Take the recent meeting in Mwanza region with the youth, she also announced that she will meet with opposition leaders and as well expressed her willingness to attract foreign investors.
