Jubilation, splendour as CCM cadres elect first ever woman chairperson

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Jubilation, splendour as CCM cadres elect first ever woman chairperson
Jubilation, splendour as CCM cadres elect first ever woman chairperson

Africa-PressTanzania. THERE was jubilation at Dodoma’s Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre (JKCC) as 1,862 Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) delegates arrived at the venue with one major purpose: electing the first ever woman Chairperson of one of the oldest parties in Africa.

Delegates started thronging JKCC as early as 6:30 am to secure their seats before commencement of CCM Extraordinary General Congress.

There were long queues outside the building as members of the party from different regions of the Mainland and Isles scrambled to enter the conference room.

JKCC was full to its capacity as early as 8:30 am, with some of the delegates and journalists sweating out to get chairs which were almost full.

Some scribes were allocated a place outside the building to monitor via big screens as the conference hall was not enough to accommodate all of them.

Dressed on her green CCM attire, President Samia arrived at JKCC just a few minutes before 9:00am. She was received by members who chanted party songs.

She was received on the fully packed high table by CCM Vice Chairman (Mainland), Philip Mangula and his Zanzibar counterpart, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, among other top leaders.

Other top leaders who attended the crucial meeting include Vice President, Dr Philip Mpango, Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa. Others were retired leaders including Former Presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Jakaya Kikwete.

Leaders from opposition parties also attended the crucial congress to show their political maturity and their close relationship with the ruling party, they include among others, Tanzanian Labour Party (TLP) chairman, and veteran politician Augustine Mrema.

Outside JKCC, as usual, business men and women were not left behind. They brought at the venue their various businesses only with common intension: to mint cash. Currently all Muslims in the country and worldwide are fasting.

However, for Christians, it was yet another opportunity to enjoy bites, drinks and different food varieties.

Apart from food, there were businesses of all kinds which made delegates to do their shopping before leaving the capital city to return to their duty stations.

Tax, Bajaj and Bodaboda operators had a reason to smile as delegates hired them to commute to different destinations of the city.

Security was heightened at the meeting venue as it became difficult for people who did not have official congress IDs to make their way in the meeting room.

There was police patrol in every corner of the city in ensuring that leaders and delegates remained safe for the entire period of their stay in the city.

As usual, Dodoma temporarily became a city of green and yellow as almost all streets were decorated with CCM flags.

Even in the Central Business District (CBD), at least out of 10 people, five of them wore either yellow or green attire, the traditional dress when CCM meetings are being conducted in Dodoma.

Unlike in the previous general congresses, where several artistes were performing, yesterday there were only two bands, one of them being that owned by CCM—TOT Plus.

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