The Coalition of People’s Constitution (Ukawa) has yesterday officially invited former Prime Minister and Monduli legislator Edward Ngoyai Lowassa (61) to join it, saying they are ready to co-operate with him in ensuring the opposition wins the presidential race in the October 25 General Election.
The coalition’s move ends weeks of widely circulating rumours that Lowassa was planning ditch CCM and join an opposition party yet to be known following his recent elimination as one of the ruling party’s aspirants for the Tanzanian presidency.
“We would like to take this opportunity to officially invite Edward Lowassa to join our coalition and we are more than ready to extend full support to him so that we (opposition) win the General Election slated in October,” declared Ukawa co-chairperson James Mbatia.
Mbatia, who is also the national Chairman of NCCR-Mageuzi, was briefing the press in Dar es Salaam on what had been transpired in the ongoing process of agreeing on a compromise candidate to stand as the coalition’s flag bearer in the presidential race.
He said the coalition had a strong belief in Lowassa because of his ability to mobilise the citizenry to defeat the ruling party.
He said the coalition had a strong belief in Lowassa because of his ability to mobilise the citizenry to defeat the ruling party.
Mbatia cited some of the reasons they were extending a hand of friendship and solidarity to Lowassa as his courage, hard-working spirit, commitment and readiness to accomplish even the most daunting of tasks for the good of his country and nation.
According to Mbatia, Ukawa is determined to appoint one presidential candidate in mainland Tanzania, Member of Parliament in each constituency, councillors in every ward, representatives and one presidential candidate in Zanzibar in the October elections.
Seconding Mbatia, Ukawa chairman and Civic United Front (CUF) national chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba declared that the coalition was open to “any person from any party because what we want is change”.
He was optimistic that there was no law that binds a person from leaving a certain party and joining another therefore Lowassa was free to join any party of his choice.
When asked as why they had decided to welcome Lowassa, while knowing he was forced to resign from his post as prime minister in 2008 following a parliamentary select committee report on an emergency power generation contract between the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Ltd (TANESCO), a public corporation, and a US company styled Richmond Development Company LLC of Houston, Texas, Prof Lipumba said: “There is no evidence that Lowassa was involved in the corruption scandal…it is only the court that will find him guilty or not.”
“There has been no evidence that implicated Lowassa in such scandal, what happened was just a political accountability. The issue of grand corruption in our country is due to poor system available in the ruling party,” Lipumba stressed, adding that the former PM was a ‘free’ man from such allegations.
According to Prof Lipumba, you cannot compare the former finance minister, Basil Mramba with Lowassa.
He also wanted to know whether there was a decrease of grand corruption scandals in the country since Lowassa’s resignation in 2008 up to date.
Asked which party will Lowassa join and whether they were ready to offer him a chance to stand as presidential candidate for the coalition, Prof Lipumba said: “It is Lowassa’s decision to join any party forming the coalition.”
But, Lipumba was of doubt to openly say they will let him contest for the top job. “The issue of letting him to contest for a president post is not an issue to Ukawa as long as procedures of each party were followed.”
Asked when they would publicly announce a presidential candidate, Prof Lipumba said that come early August, the public will know who will be the coalition’s presidential candidate.
He urged the public to remain calm because each party had already done what was needed and the next step was to announce the flag bearer in the October General Election.
Commenting, National League for Democracy’s (NLD), Dr Emmanuel Makaidi questioned as to why Lowassa was yet to be taken to court.
“That is no news as of now. I am more than ready to accept him if chosen to contest as a presidential candidate through the coalition,” he said.
Dr Thomas Kashililah National Assembly clerk said should Lowassa join the opposition he would automatically lose all benefits as the Monduli lawmaker.
According to Kashililah, the constitution was clear on the terms for an MP to lose their titles and one of which was by terminating their membership to a presiding political party.
“This is very open and clear. We have to understand the parliament lifespan comes to an end August 20, however in the meantime should the Speaker summon Members of the Parliament all those who have shifted from their origin parties will have no qualification to attend the assembly,” he explained.
He said when Members of Parliament lose their titles they lose benefits they are entitled to.
CCM Publicity and Ideology Secretary Nape Nnauye and Tanzania Political Party Registrar Judge (rtd) Francis Mtungi when contacted yesterday they quickly answered: “No comment.”
Lowassa who was part of the 38 hopeful CCM aspirants seeking the party’s nomination to be the flag bearer in the October elections was not among the five best contenders picked by the Central Committee of the CCM party.
The Central Committee released five presidential aspirants namely, Bernard Membe, Amina Salum Ali, John Magufuli, Asha -Rose Migiro and January Makamba.
The candidates were later trimmed further by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to three; Migiro, Magufuli and Ali. However National Congress endorsed Magufuli as the party’s flag bearer in the October polls.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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