Vice President of Tanzania Mohamed Gharib Bilal
By Peter Nyanje
In Summary
Dodoma. The Union Vice-President, Dr Mohammed
Gharib Bilal, will today join the race to succeed his current
boss—President Kikwete—when the nuclear scientist picks up nomination
forms in Dodoma today.
Yesterday in Dodoma, heaqquarters of CCM, drama
unfolded when four aspirants picked up the forms, as the first step for
seeking the party’s endorsement as flag bearer in the race for the state
presidency.
Dr Bilal’s candidacy was confirmed yesterday by CCM’s Secretary for Organisation, Mr Muhammad Seif Khatib.
Prof Mark Mwandosya, the minister in the
President’s Office (Special Duties), led four party cadres in the
preliminary procedure ahead of the October 25 General Election.
He was followed by Bunda MP and minister for
Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, Mr Stephen Wasira who
completed the morning session.
Ex-premier Edward Lowassa, who was scheduled to be
next, cancelled the event to attend the funeral of deceased Ukonga MP
Ms Eugene Mwaiposa.
The exercise for the day was rounded off in the
afternoon by the only woman in the race so far, Ms Amina Salum Ali and
Mr Makongoro Nyerere, son of the father of the nation.
The exercise was low-keyed, because CCM
regulations bar aspirants from being accompanied by cheering crowds.
Witnesses on site were a few supporters and journalists.
Each aspirant is alloted one and a half hours; half an hour for collecting the forms and one hour for a media briefing.
In his introductory remarks on behalf of the CCM
secretary-general, Mr Khatib said regional party chairmen had been
directed to assist the aspirants to secure signatures of members for
endorsing their forms.
“The aspirants are also free to talk to those who
will endorse them but this should be done openly and not secretly,” he
explained.
Prof Mwandosya
In his address at CCM’s White House hall, Prof
Mwandosya said he was banking on his achievement in the 2005 nomination
as capital.
“I emerged third then and to me that was good
capital. This is my second attempt, and since those who beat me are not
in the race, I don’t see why CCM should not settle for me as its
presidential candidate,” he said.
In 2005, Prof Mwandosya trailed the eventual winner, then-minister Jakaya Kikwete and Dr Salim Ahmed Salim.
President Kikwete is in the final months of his second and final term, and Dr Salim is not an aspirant.
“Besides my achievements in 2005, my experience in working within the government advanced over time.
“I believe I have what it takes to propel this
country to economic prosperity and a brighter future,” said Prof
Mwandosya, who is also the Rungwe East MP.
Stephen Wasira
Mr Wasira cited four challenges on which he would
focus his attention if he is nominated and wins the poll: poverty,
unemployment, peace and security as well as corruption. He said only by
modernising agriculture could the country make economic strides.
On the battle against grand corruption, Mr Wasira said his government would apply existing laws to penalise the culprits.
“First I hate corruption and I am not a corrupt
person, therefore, nothing will deter me from fighting it. We have the
laws and institutions to help us in the battle but if they are not
competent enough, we will improve them,” he said. He furthermore vowed
to safeguard the Union, noting that it was the merger that gives the
country the strength to tackle various challenges.
Amina Salum Ali
The first woman to join the race on the CCM
ticket, Ms Amina, banks on women’s power to win the post officially
designated as the presidency, but is informally known as the hot seat.
Eradicating male chauvinism would be one of her goals, she stressed.
“Our country has many women. Census data shows
that there are about 25 million of us in the country. These are people
who would like to have a representative in the highest office. On the
strength of long experience in various positions in both governments, I
consider myself capable of shouldering respeonsibilities as head of
state,” she asserted confidently. Coupled with long experience, the
diplomat told journalists, she had the courage and dedication.
She stressed that freeing the country from donor dependence would be one of her top priorities.
Makongoro Nyerere
The son of the Father of the Nation, was the last
to pick up the forms. He was escorted by ten people, nine of whom, he
said, were from Unguja and Pemba.
Although his party wants every aspirant to be
endorsed by not less than 450 members from 10 regions, Mr Nyerere said
he was planning to visit all regions.
On corruption, he said it was disheartening that
some people have used President Kikwete’s leniency to engage themselves
in corrupt practices.
“What they are not aware of is that if they taint
the party with corruption, they are also ruining the country as you
cannot disentangle CCM from the national leadership,” he said.
He expressed his dismay over some prominent CCM members
embracing corruption but no tangible measures were being made to
discipline them.
“It is high time that minority returned the party
to the majority to whom it belongs. This is a party of poor people, they
should return it to us because we are ready to run it properly, ” he
said.
After handing over forms to Mr Nyerere, Mr Khatib
said that five other aspirants will collect theirs today. He named them
as Mr Siyatemi Amos Abel, former prime ministers Frederick Sumaye and
Edward Lowassa, Mr Ali Karume and Dr John Magufuli.
Nomination process
After paying Sh1 million and picking up the forms,
each aspirant will be required to collect 450 signatures of sureties
from 15 regions, at least three of which should be from Zanzibar.
According to the ruling party, district
secretaries should make sure that all the endorsers are genuine CCM
members and a member is not supposed to endorse more than one aspirant.
The aspirants have until July 3 to return the dully filled nomination forms ahead of nomination meetings by the top organs.
The Central Committee will draw a shortlist of five names and present it to the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The latter will trim the figure to three for
reference to the General Congress, from which the winner will emerge to
face rivals from other political parties, in the presidential contest
proper.
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