Author: DEOGRATIUS KAMAGI
AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS the ruling party CCM starts meetings to get its presidential flag bearers in the coming general election, pundits have expressed their hopes that the party would come up with quality candidates.
The meetings are held for the first time since the 43-year old party made various reforms after President John Magufuli was elected the party’s national chairman in July 2016.
Some of the internal reforms that were initiated under Dr Magufuli’s leadership were on finance, reclaiming lost party assets, revamping the party’s constitution, and removing unnecessary posts.
Among other things, the constitutional amendments were done to accommodate sweeping reforms, including cutting down the number of National Executive Committee (NEC) and Central Committee (CC) members.
Under the reforms, the number of NEC and CC members was reduced to 158 and 24 from 388 and 34, respectively.
Also, the party halved the frequency of its annual internal meetings from the grassroots to national levels.
In the ongoing party meetings, the party would nominate its flag bearer for Zanzibar and Union government, with much tension being in Zanzibar as it is seeking to have a candidate who would succeed Dr Ali Mohamed Shein.
The meeting is also anticipated to approve the seating President Magufuli as the party’s candidate for this year’s general election. Dr Magufuli is seeking a second term.
In Zanzibar, a total of 32 CCM cadres picked nomination forms but only 31 returned the documents, and only five names have so far been picked for further procedures.
Analysts who spoke to the Daily News expressed their optimism that with the nature of reforms that have been put in place, the party would okay competent candidates.
“The reforms were meant to curb loopholes for corruption that resulted in damaging the party’s image and reputation, this is a nice strategy,” says Dr Paul Loisulie, a lecturer at the University of Dodoma (UDOM).
The pundit expects that this time around, all endorsed candidates would work hard to the best of their abilities because of the nature of competition within the party.
“Due to the measures that have been put in place, there has been an increase in the number of aspirants in various positions. This is really encouraging, kudos to Dr Magufuli and the entire secretariat for these changes,” he said.
This view was seconded by an assistant lecturer at Mzumbe University in Morogoro, Mr Jerlum Kilumile, who believed that all the decisions to be reached in the meetings will be free and fair to all members in a bid to avoid factions within the party.
“We know that there is no competition for CCM’s Union presidential candidate as it’s only President Magufuli who collected the nomination form and returned it, it’s obvious that he would be selected again, but for Zanzibar I am waiting to see a new candidate,” he said.
According to him, all that is needed is for the ruling party to handle the meetings well, so that no faction would emerge.
For his part, a senior lecturer at the Iringa based Ruaha Catholic University (RUCU) Prof Gaudence Mpangala expressed optimism that the party would handle the selection process for a candidate for president of Zanzibar.
“This should also be reflected in the selection for candidates of Members of Parliament and Ward Councillors seats,” he said, acknowledging that the reforms had consolidated the ruling party
