Author: FLORENCE MUGARULA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has maintained that it will record a landslide victory in the coming October polls regardless of the National Electoral Commission (NEC)’s decision to reinstate opposition candidates against whom the objections were raised.
NEC’s decision means the candidates in various constituencies who had already started celebrating victory will now be required to face their opponents from other political parties ahead of the October general election.
However, CCM’s Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Mr Humphrey Polepole told reporters during a meeting in Chato, Geita Region, that come rain or shine, CCM will emerge victorious in the October polls.
Mr Polepole was giving an assessment on the party’s performance in the ongoing election campaigns after they were officially launched in Dodoma on August 29, this year.
He said his party is well prepared and organised to win the elections since it has recorded good performance in the past five years.
“What I can say here is that CCM is going to record a landslide victory, no matter the appeals, our focus remain intact,” said Mr Polepole.
On Tuesday, NEC reinstated 15 candidates, whose bids for the legislative position were contested, further rejecting 40 appeals that involve candidates who were disqualified.
NEC reached its verdict after reviewing 55 appeals that were filed by candidates and election stakeholders permissible by the law to dispute decisions by returning officers.
The commission announced that there are over 557 appeals from candidates contesting the decision by the election returning officers to nullify their bid for legislative posts.
In a statement signed by Election Director Dr Wilson Charles, NEC said it had dropped 15 appeals whose applicants were disqualified by election returning officers on merits of missing key important appointment requirements.
Subject to Section 40 (6) of the Election Act No 343, candidates who are disqualified by returning officers are entitled to appeal before the commission for further jurisdiction.
It also rejected 25 appeals whose motives were to disqualify existing candidates from unspecified political parties and constituencies.
In its statement, NEC observed that it will keep updating more details as it reaches decisions on submitted appeals.
“The process to review and resolve on appeals submitted is ongoing. Effective from today, the commission will be releasing results of all appeals as they unfold,” reads part of the statement emphasizing that so far 55 appeals have been resolved.
