Magufuli takes over as CCM Chair next month

ANNE ROBBI

Retired President and National CCM Chairman, Mr Jakaya Kikwete, leads the ruling party's Central Committee meeting at the CCM Sub-Head Office (Mainland) in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. Looking on (left) is the Vice-Chairman (Mainland), Mr Philip Mangula and the Secretary General, Mr Abdulrahman Kinana. (Photo by PMO)

RETIRED President Jakaya Kikwete and Chairman of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) will hand over the party’s chairmanship to President John Magufuli next month, the Party’s Central Committee (CC) announced on Saturday.

CCM Spokesperson Christopher Ole Sendeka told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the handing over will be done at a one-day special general meeting scheduled for July 23 in Dodoma.

He said the handing-over date was agreed upon at a meeting of the Central Committee (CC) held at the party’s Mainland sub-head office in Dar es Salaam yesterday, under the chairmanship of Mr Kikwete.

“The main objective of the meeting (general meeting in Dodoma) is to hand over the party’s chairmanship - from the current holder, Mr Kikwete, to President Magufuli,” he said. According to Mr Ole-Sendeka, the CC has finalised most of the meeting’s preparations. Some 2,430 party delegates are expected to attend.

He said that the meeting will be preceded by other sessions involving the party’s secretariat, Central Committee and the National Executive Committee (NEC).

On the other hand, Mr Ole-Sendeka said that the meeting would also be attended by invitees from sister political parties outside the country, heads of foreign missions accredited to Tanzania, party veterans and other political parties in the country.

In March, this year, CCM Secretary General Abdulrahman Kinana said that President Magufuli has accepted the responsibility. “CCM has a culture of handing over the party’s chairmanship to the next elected President ... this is not in the party’s constitution but it is a culture that has been formed within the party,” he explained.

Mr Kinana explained that former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi handed over the position to former President Benjamin Mkapa in 1995, who in turn handed it over to Mr Kikwete in 2006.

“This culture is continuing and former President Kikwete has decided to hand over the chairmanship to President Magufuli, who has accepted. My work is to prepare the party’s National Congress for this purpose,” he pointed out.