Author: EDWARD QORRO
AfricaPress-Tanzania: SOME CCM cadres whose names were axed from the list of contenders for the upcoming General Election, have opened up on their predicament.
The common thread that runs through their sentiments is that they respect the party’s verdicts and would join forces with the nominated candidates in the victory-pursuit campaigns.
On Thursday, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) dropped a bombshell on some former Members of Parliament after the party disapproved their desires of running for some constituencies in the October-scheduled elections.
In a telephone interview with ‘africa-press.’ , former Chemba MP Juma Selemani Nkamia urged fellow cadres to desist from blame games and instead shift focus on supporting their party in the upcoming elections.
Mr Nkamia said the 43 year-old party was ‘bigger’ than any other individual, urging those who didn’t make it to accept NEC’s decisions and move on as opportunities are aplenty within the ruling party, as well as the country’s oldest.
“Personally, I will work tirelessly in drumming up support in Chemba constituency for ward councillors, MPs and ultimately the President,” assured the former legislator.
Mr Nkamia vowed to remain loyal to the ruling party, despite the outcome of the primaries.
The former Deputy Minister of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports lost out to Mohamed Moni in the party’s primaries held last month.
He collected 162 against Mr Moni who garnered 327.
Former Shinyanga Urban MP Mr Stephen Masele has vowed that he would support his party in spite of not being approved by CCM National Executive Committee (NEC) to defend his seat.
Through his twitter handle, Mr Masele, who is also the First Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), said he held no grudges about the decisions reached by NEC even as he led other aspirants in the party’s primaries held last month.
“I have received the decision with utmost humility, and I am ready to support the party in the coming polls,” he wrote.
Mr Masele also thanked CCM leaders for trusting him during his 10 year reign in the constituency and called upon fellow party cadres to be united as the ruling party seeks to record a landslide victory in the upcoming General Election.
During the party primaries, Mr Masele registered 152 votes, leading all aspirants who were vying for the seat.
Announcing the results on Thursday, CCM’s Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Mr Humphrey Polepole, declared Mr Patrobas Katambi as the sole flag bearer for the party in Shinyanga Urban constituency.
The youthful politician was in May last year suspended from PAP by National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai over allegations of insubordination.
Mr Masele would later be grilled by a parliamentary committee for about five hours after responding to a call by the Speaker of Parliament.
Briefing reporters after the grilling, Mr Masele hinted that his support for establishment of a commission to investigate President and Speaker of PAP from Cameroon, Mr Nkodo Dang against sexual abuse allegation by the parliament staff maybe the main reason behind Mr Ndugai’s decision to recall him.
But, an impressive incident occurred in Biharamulo District in Kagera Region yesterday, when the CCM parliamentary candidate for Biharamulo constituency, Mr Ezra Chiwelesa, was accompanied by other aspirants to collect the forms from the National Electoral Commission at the Buharamulo District Council office.
The aspirants who accompanied Mr Chilewesa to the national electoral committee are the CCM members who picked the forms seeking party nomination but failed to make it to the final stage.
He thanked CCM for having confidence in him, given the fact that he emerged second in the party primaries.
Dr Gresmus Sebiyoya, who led the primaries for Buharamulo parliamentary seat but was not nominated last Thursday, said he respected the decision reached by the party through its National Executive Committee (NEC).
“I will support Mr Chiwelesa during the campaigns to ensure that we win and I have confidence in him,” he said.
Dr Sebiyoya was among the persons who sponsored Mr Chiwelesa through the NEC nomination forms.
Meanwhile, former Sengerema legislator Mr Wiliam Ngeleja also took time to thank his party for giving him the opportunity to serve the constituency for the past 15 years.
Mr Ngeleja, who once served as the Energy and Minerals Minister in the fourth phase government, said he duly received NEC’s decision of expunging his name, vowing to rally support for CCM in the elections.
The ‘africa-press’ tried to reach other former MPs who failed to make it to the nomination stage but in vain.
