Author: ELKANA KUHENGA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) candidates seeking nomination to vie for various posts continue to hold their breath awaiting their verdict, the party has promised maximum transparency and fairness in the recommendation process.
Addressing Ruvuma CCM region’s members yesterday in Songea, CCM Secretary for Publicity and Ideology, Mr Humphrey Polepole, said the voting process on candidates by CCM organs at all levels will be fairly and transparently conducted.
However, Mr Polepole was quick to remind some leaders who ditched their positions and resorted to seek nomination so that they can vie for parliamentary seat that they too will be handed a ‘fair judgment’.
Stressing on opinion polls to be made through a voting process by organs at all levels, he said the level of transparency witnessed during the nomination process of Zanzibar’s CCM Presidential flag bearer Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi last Friday in Dodoma will be replicated in the voting process for candidates seeking nomination to vie for parliamentary and councillorship seats.
During the nomination of Zanzibar flag bearer Dr Mwinyi and endorsement of CCM’s presidential candidate incumbent President John Magufuli, the meetings were beamed live by local radio and television channels.
“The CCM chairman has set new standards by encouraging transparency to all members of the press; this is a new tradition which will also be applied in the voting process of CCM candidates at all levels,” he said.
“In the past, members of the Central Committee and National Executive Committee used to lock themselves in a room to discuss, vote, and later present results but this time the situation has been different as each process was done openly,” Mr Polepole said.
He further noted that a similar system will be used to get candidates contesting for councillorship, parliamentary and house representatives’ positions countrywide.
Mr Polepole noted that this time around, conferences at ward level will also be attended by cell chairpersons because the group is key in building the party’s foundation.
“We have decided to involve them in the process because cell chairpersons are more connected to the people and an important link between our party and the public… their participation is crucial in getting suitable candidates,” he said.
He said after conducting opinion polls at ward level, names for candidates vying for councillorship and parliamentary slots will be presented to the district political committees.
Mr Polepole further said that the names will later be forwarded to the regional political committees and then to the CCM National Executive Committee Secretariat.
The Central Committee will submit the lists of candidates to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for voting and endorsement of successful candidates as flag bearers in forthcoming General Election.
Meanwhile, he has urged those interested in various positions now to be humble and calm during the selection process and even after the final list emerges, while urging those who will not be lucky to accept the result and should avoid violence as the party will not tolerate them at all.
