CCM opens floodgates, mixed feelings pour in

University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Vice Chancellor, Prof Rwekaza Mukandala

Academicians and Dar es Salaam residents have expressed mixed opinions on the decision reached by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) to lift the campaigning ban on its six prominent cadres on Friday.

 

According to them, banning the cadres was not democratic because it denied them the right to express their political opinions, which was not fair.

 

Speaking to this paper, academicians from the University of Dar es Salaam said that the decision reached by the party’s Central Committee (CC) was good because they had shown how democracy and competition should thrive within the party.

 

University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Vice Chancellor, Prof  Rwekaza Mukandala, said that the decision was quite good because it allows freedom and competitions to flourish in the party.“Democracy and competition in any political party are very important and I think that CCM had done the right thing which was also democratic,”

He further added that, the only thing cadres are supposed to consider and remember in their mind is that, they should follow and observe the stipulated rules of the party.

 

Along the same line, University of Dar es Salaam’s Political Science lecturer, Prof Bashiru Ally said that the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) wills the scope for picking the right person.

 

According to Prof Bashiru NEC is responsible for deciding the right candidates because it will abide by election manifesto, conditions for aspirants, time table and qualifications rather than looking at a person as an individual.

 

“The decision reached by the CC on Friday was valid but I’m sure that NEC will concentrate on election manifesto and qualifications of the aspirants,” he added.

 

Anafi Juma, a resident of Dar es Salaam congratulated the ruling party for such a decision, saying that democracy was dying in the party but somehow it managed to revive it.

 

“It seems that there was no democracy within the party since the ban failed to find them guilty and now they are free though they have been psychologically affected somehow,” he said.

Meanwhile, Khamis Maneno commended the decision by CCM to lift the ban imposed on its six prominent cadres because they had suffered for a long time since February last year.

 

He went further and said that this country needs a president with strong qualities and who can make good decisions for the sake of his people.

On Friday last week, the CC of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) lifted the ban imposed on its six prominent cadres in February last year, reviving their presidential hopes.

 

The ban was slapped on the presidential hopefuls by the CCM ethics committee after they were found guilty of launching preliminary presidential campaigns prematurely against party ethics and regulations.

 

The cadres are former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Bernard Membe, Sengerema MP William Ngeleja, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Stephen Wassira, Former Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye and Deputy Minister for Communication, Science and Technology January Makamba.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN