Lowassa was one of 38 CCM presidential hopefuls for the October General Election but he was not among the best five aspirants.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam Chadema deputy secretary (Zanzibar), Salum Mwalimu said that Lowasa will pick up the form to contest for the top job at the party headquarters Buguruni in Dar es Salaam.
He said that the opposition parties forming the Coalition of Peaolpe’s Constitution had resolved to pick a single presidential candidate who would come from Chadema.
The parties forming the Coalition include Chadema, NCCR- Mageuzi, Civic United Front and National League for Democracy.
“Because Chadema is a major opposition party within Ukawa we have agreed to pick a single presidential candidate from Chadema,” said Mwalimu.Sharing the same sentiments, Singida East legislator Tundu Lissu said within Ukawa Chadema is the major opposition because it has the majority Members of Parliament and that it is given that the party shall receive the biggest share of the government subsidy.
He said if Chadema won the General Election it would consider the welfare of other parties forming the alliance.
“We are still discussing on how we are going to share the subsidy from the government to ensure that each member of the Coalition is satisfied,” Lissu said.
He explained that after concluding the discussions they were going to make it public.
Commenting on the absence of Chadema secretary general Wilbroad Slaa when Lowassa was invited to the party, he said that he was attending to other duties of the party.
“The absence of Slaa did not mean that he was not happy with Lowassa to join the party but rather he was attending to other functions of the party,” Lissu insisted.
Meanwhile, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) is still strong and stable despite the former Premier Edward Lowassa having crossed over the opposition Chadema.
This was said by CCM Dar es Salaam regional Ideology and public Secretary, Juma Gadafi at a press briefing held in the city yesterday.
According to Gadafi, Lowassa had joined the party (CCM) on his own will and he had left on his own free will: “CCM is ever strong, the party is ever united and with such, we don’t see the reason of losing in the October General Election…in fact, Lowassa isn’t the first to leave the party.”
The Regional Ideology and Public Secretary added: “Augustine Mrema left with the majority, if CCM was to lose power then it could have been during that period that … but nothing had happened and the party did not only won the elections but it grew stronger…We’ve seen Lowassa and his wife leaving, but the majority are still with us so he is not a threat to us.”
Gadafi explained that the incidents after CCM national congress in Dodoma proved that the party was united and members had already learnt to distinguish between true love for the party and love for personal and selfish interests.
“Although the nomination process was tense, but the party demonstrated true democracy, basing on stipulated regulations and procedures in getting the candidates. As I have said for us the party comes first and since we have Dr John Magufuli, we aren’t therefore worried…you wait and see …you will be shocked with the outcome of the election results. ,” he concluded.
On Tuesday, Lowassa publicly announced that he was joining opposition party Chadema, ending weeks of speculation on the party he would cross over from the ruling CCM.
Speaking at a press conference in Dar es Salaam, Lowassa said: “I spent most of my time since the CCM process to nominate a presidential candidate ended. However, I had decided that it was high time to take tough decisions and I officially announce to leave CCM and join Chadema.”
Lowassa who is the Monduli MP said the presidential nomination process by the ruling party was undemocratic as the disciplinary committee had no mandate to disqualify anyone but rather the Central Committee.
“But, they did so just to disqualify me despite the fact that I was the leading candidate for having the majority support in the party,” Lowassa explained, amid applause.
“I will be hypocritical before Tanzanians if I remain a CCM member, as the CCM I saw in Dodoma was different from that of the past because it had lost direction…and this was what made me to take such tough decisions to cross the floor to Chadema.”
He said his aim of redeeming Tanzanians from poverty remained the same, despite what happened in Dodoma.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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