AfricaPress-Tanzania: WHO will make it? This is unarguably the overriding question as the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) nears the final verdict on its legislative aspirants.
All eyes are in the Capital City of Dodoma, where the party holds its meetings, with cadres, aspirants and political enthusiasts all waiting passionately for the final list, which will be made public tomorrow.
The party, which commands a huge base of supporters, is on the final lap of picking its candidates for the Members of Parliament and Zanzibar House of Representatives ahead of the upcoming General Election, slated for October 28, this year.
President John Magufuli yesterday presided over the CCM Central Committee meeting at Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Convention Centre in Dodoma, as the ruling party’s legislative flag-bearers screening entered the crucial phase.
The candidates’ fate was most likely drawn during the meeting.
A series of meetings that kicked off Monday with the Secretariat of the National Executive Committee sitting will culminate with the naming of legislative candidates tomorrow.
Chairman Dr Magufuli led the Central Committee of the National Executive Committee, which has the constitutional function of considering and making recommendations to the National Executive Committee on CCM Members who seek to contest for Parliamentary or House of Representatives seats.
The National Executive Committee, which convenes tomorrow, will eventually consider and make final nomination of candidates for Parliamentary elections as well as for the Zanzibar House of Representatives elections.
Over 8,000 CCM cadres had collected nomination forms different categories across the country.
The list included cabinet ministers, outgoing members of parliament, government leaders including presidential appointees in various posts, businessmen and artists.
No one can walk assured of a smooth ride as the party has vowed to thoroughly scrutinise the aspirants, while declaring zero-tolerance to corrupt candidates regardless of outcomes in the parliamentary and councillorship primaries.
Vice-President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also CCM’s Central Committee member, reiterated her party’s resolve to sustain its anti-corruption revolution by blocking all members who engaged in corrupt practices.
Ms Hassan insisted only clean aspirants will be approved by the Central Committee (CC) to contest in the upcoming General Election on CCM tickets.
Ms Samia made the remarks during the congress for CCM women’s wing, UWT, held in Dodoma recently, telling the party cadres that corrupt and dishonest members will not be tolerated.
She reminded CCM members that luring enough votes in the ongoing internal elections may not be enough for one to be endorsed by the party; instead integrity would be highly considered.
“For those who engaged in bribing members, they will not be approved to contest in the forthcoming general elections no matter how many votes they collected during the primaries, this is in accordance with the party’s rules and regulations,” Ms Samia said.
Her statement was in line with what was said recently by the CCM’s Secretary for Ideology and Publicity, Mr Humphrey Polepole, who noted aspirants, who observed party procedures during primaries should relax and have inner peace ahead of the final screening.
Mr Polepole told the media last week that the party has collected all necessary information on various conducts during primaries countrywide, including its members, who violated the party’s principles governing the primaries.
“CCM members, who contested for leadership posts and followed the right procedures as stipulated in our party’s constitution, should have inner peace. The national chairman and his subordinates recognise your humbleness and discipline,” said Mr Polepole.
The party has launched a special centre where members could provide information on aspirants, who seemed to violate party’s procedures, rules and guidelines during the process.
