Africa-Press – Tanzania. HARDWORKING, experience in leadership and integrity have been mentioned as key reasons for appointment of Mr Abdulrahman Kinana to the position of Vice-Chairman of the ruling party- CCM for mainland.
Mr Kinana, the former CCM Secretary General was appointed on Thursday by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), he is set to replace Mr Philip Mangula, who has resigned. The latter had served the position for ten years beginning 2012 until yesterday.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ yesterday, political commentators said Mr Kinana’s vast experience and good record in leadership within and outside the party could be among key reasons for his appointment.
“Mr Kinana knows politics and will master the position, he did a good job when he was serving the party in the capacity of Secretary General.” said Mr Jerlum Kilumile, who is an Assistant Lecturer at Mzumbe University, Morogoro.
His comments were seconded by CPA Godvictor Lyimo, who is president of Tanzania Association of Accountants (TAA). Mr Lyimo said the new CCM Vice-Chairman is a man of integrity, who is capable of the position he has been placed in.
“He has been into different leadership positions from the military, government, parliament, and CCM itself, as a result of earning the confidence of NEC members,” he said.
Addressing a news conference in Dodoma yesterday, the party’s Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Shaka Hamdu Shaka said that Mr Mangula submitted the resignation letter yesterday to the Chairperson of the party, Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Yesterday, at the party’s headquarters in Dodoma famously known as the White House, the party held the NEC meeting which was preceded by the Central Committee (CC) meeting.
According to the party’s spokesperson, the party’s chairperson, who is also the president, submitted the letter of Mr Mangula to the NEC meeting as per the party’s constitution and that all members unanimously blessed his resignation.
“As per the constitution, his name will be submitted to the extraordinary party’s congress which meets today at Dodoma’s Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre for endorsement through voting,’’ he noted.
Based on his experience in politics, public service and in his party, Mr Kinana is likely to garner a landslide victory from the party’s delegates, who started arriving in the country’s capital.
Mr Kinana is a renowned politician who served as the first Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006. He served as CCM secretary-general between 2012 and 2018.
In the public service, Mr Kinana served in the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) for 20 years before retiring as a colonel in 1992. He also served as the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence under President Ali Hassan Mwinyi.
For a decade, Mr Kinana served as a Member of Parliament in the Tanzanian parliament for Arusha constituency.
Born in the Arusha Region in October 1951, Mr Kinana did his primary and secondary studies in that city, before attending the Old Moshi Secondary School.
He was one of those responsible for the TANU party youth organisation in the Korogwe District between 1971 and 1972, before following the teachings of the Kivukoni Ideological College in 1973.
At a news conference yesterday, Mr Shaka said that the party’s NEC also agreed in one voice to forgive two of its former members who were former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bernard Membe and former Jang’ombe Member of Parliament, Abdallah Maulid Diwani, who had been stripped off their party membership for violating rules and regulations of the party.
“The meeting decided that they will be forgiven and procedures to hand over to them their membership cards are still ongoing, adding that they will soon be given the cards after all the procedures are completed,’’ he said.
Until yesterday evening, Dodoma City was buzzing as CCM cadres started arriving to attend the party’s extraordinary party’s congress.
Majority of them were seen at the party’s headquarters in the city purchasing their traditional green and yellow clothes, a common dress attire among party cadres during meetings.
Vendors at the party headquarters were busy minting cash, with the city apparently in a festive mood and business booming thanks to the rising number of visitors.
Dodoma’s Central Business District (CBD) temporarily became a city of green and yellow as various popular Streets were fully decorated with CCM flags as part of preparations for today’s meeting. As usual, there was a hotel crisis, an experience that usually occurs when the ruling party is conducting its series of meetings.
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