Author: SYLIVESTER DOMASA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE National Executive Committee (NEC) of CCM has endorsed Dr John Magufuli to run for the presidency of the Union government and voted Dr Hussein Mwinyi as its flag bearer for Zanzibar.
The two will face the general congress today to seek final authorisation to face, so far, “undeclared” opponents from opposition parties for the top leadership positions.
President Magufuli, who is seeking his second and final five-year term, if re-elected, will be running to end his fifth-phase administration while Dr Mwinyi is expected to assemble his firstterm of the eighth phase government in Zanzibar.
On Friday, the committee summoned all the five members who had topped the list of the NEC’s Special Committee among the 32 cadres who had expressed interest to run for the presidency of Zanzibar in the forthcoming General Election.
Dr Bashiru Ali, the CCM Secretary-General had revealed that Dr Hussein Mwinyi, Shamsa Vuai Nahodha, Prof Makame Mnyaa Mbarawa, Dr Khalid Mohammed and Khamis Omar, were the only five members whose credentials underwent the scrutiny of the powerful CCM Central Committee and the Ethics and Security Committee.
He said among the 32 members, Hussein Ibrahim Makingu opted out of the race for the high office.
He said the CCM central committee approved three names – Dr Mwinyi, Dr Mohammed and Nahodha to advance into the final stage. “These are the only names that members will have to vote for today,” he said.
Dr Mwinyi emerged victorious with a landslide of 129 votes (78.65 per cent) of all total valid votes counted.
Nahodha and Dr Khalid gained 16 (9.75 per cent) and 19 votes (11.58 per cent) respectively, according to results announced by the election returning officer Mr Job Ndugai, the Speaker of the National Assembly.
The race for the presidential nomination within the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi had included five women.
Speaking shortly before the election, Prof Mbarawa thanked the party for its support and vowed to work with whoever the party shall nominate.
“The one who wins today will be our president in Zanzibar … I will give all my valuable time to support the person to get a landslide victory in the general election,” he said.
Mr Omar expressed similar sentiments on Friday, thanking his parents and the political party, noting that the national executive committee gathering was focused on producing only a single name that he would support.
Members of the National Executive Committee burst into excitement when the results were declared by Mr Ndugai.
According to the party constitution, a candidate would need more than 50 per cent of the total valid votes to qualify to run for the Zanzibar presidency on a CCM ticket.
Dr Bashiru explained that while it was also required to nominate three names for the Union presidency, only one cadre, Dr John Magufuli had picked and returned the nomination documents as of June 30.
“This means that the committee will work on only one available name,” he noted.
He went on to say that Dr Magufuli had been approved by the party’s security and ethics committee as well as the central committee for his demonstrated leadership within and outside the country.
He emphasized that the committee established that Dr Magufuli met all the twelve conditions required for one to run for the Union presidency on a CCM ticket.
Meanwhile, the ruling party’s NEC outlined five top priorities for the party during the 2020-25 election manifesto that includes creating at least seven million new jobs, consolidating social service provision and embarking on major reforms in the agricultural sector, fishing and livestock, towards consolidating food security in the country.
The political party will be also championing economic reforms and strengthening the fundamental principles of humanity and equality.
