Arusha MP Godbless Lema addresses the media in his official office in Arusha yesterday. The office has been handed back to the Chadema politician after the Court of Appeal quashed his unseating by the High Court. PHOTO | FILBERT RWEYEMAMU
Arusha. Reinstated Arusha Urban MP (Chadema) Godbless Lema says he is ready to work closely with district and regional leaders, but not the current Arusha mayor.
“We can’t recognise the mayor because he was not elected in a proper way,” the Chadema politician said after reporting back to his office at the district headquarters. The office had been closed since Mr Lema was ousted last April by a High Court verdict, which was quashed by the Court of Appeal last month.
In what appears to be a departure from his previous hard line, the combative politician promised to “respect” Arusha Regional Commissioner Magesa Mulongo with whom he had traded bitter words at the height of his battles with the authorities.
He also pleaded to work with the other government officials here “for the sake of the development of the people of Arusha”, but was categorical that Chadema would not recognise Mr Gaudience Lyimo as Arusha mayor.
“We will stick to our guns and say no to the current mayor. There will be no compromise on that,” he told reporters and Chadema officials and supporters.
Mr Lema was reinstated as Arusha Urban MP by the Court of Appeal after three CCM members last April successfully petitioned at the High Court against his election in 2010.
He admitted that there had been some pressure aimed at persuading Chadema to drop its position of not working with the local authorities as long as the CCM councillor was mayor.
“Some mediators have been pleading with us to forget our differences with the government in the day-to-day running of Arusha affairs. We have agreed to work closely with the RC and district commissioner, but not the mayor,” he said.
Mr Lyimo, the CCM councillor for Olorien, was declared the city mayor on December 18, 2010 after disputed civic polls which, according to Mr Lema,were boycotted by Chadema and other opposition parties.
Chadema organised a demonstration on January 5, 2011 to protest what the party said was a flawed mayoral election. Police broke up the demonstration, sparking violence in which three people were killed and scores injured.
Mr Lema also accused the government of reluctance to organise by-elections in five wards that were formerly under Chadema councillors in order to enable CCM to dominate the city council and Arusha politics in general.
The councillors for Elerai, Kimandolu, Themi, Sombetini and Kaloleni were expelled from Chadema last year. The vacant positions have given the ruling party a numerical advantage in the city council, he said.
The outspoken MP denied accusations that he had done very little for the development of Arusha since his election 2010.
He said some of the major projects he had initiated included the revival of the General Tyre factory and the construction of tarmac roads in the city.
Mr Lema said the court cases that had consumed much of his time since his election had been engineered by CCM to undermine Chadema in Arusha.
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