It has been marathon campaigns pitting eight presidential candidates but with the political battle ground being dominated by CCM aspirant Dr John Magufuli and Chadema’s Edward Lowassa.
International media stringers from across the world have arrived in the country to witness how the story ends, bearing in mind that this the tightest electoral race in the country's history.
Both Dr Magufuli and Lowassa have made promises worth trillions of shillings, raising questions on the ability of whoever wins to finance their implementation.
According to the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the stage is set for the historic race. Given the hot contest between the two candidates, the parliamentary and local government campaigns were given little attention throughout the two month period.
Slightly over 22.7 million voters are expected to vote in this election in 65,105 polling stations set up by the national electoral body. The stations will open at 7 am and close at 4 pm. However, those who will still be in queues by the closing time will be allowed to vote.
While Chadema’s presidential candidate Lowassa enjoys strong support among youthful voters CCM has a strong base among women and the elderly.
The two political parties have spent billions of shillings but CCM have obviously incurred huge expenses given the number of placards and video campaign material especially in downtown avenues in Dar es Salaam.
They also run a long column of artists they hired for performances and extensive live TV coverage, all paid for upfront.
Both candidates campaigned along the lines of bringing about change. CCM bragged of bringing real change, focusing on the way the government performs its duties while those who support Chadema want CCM ousted, saying that is how real change begins, as it has stayed in power for over fifty years.
Ukawa’s grand finale
UKAWA presidential candidate Edward Lowasa ended his campaign yesterday at Jangwani Grounds in Dar es Salaam with a promise of fulfilling all the pledges he made during the campaign period.
Addressing the mammoth crowd that gathered at the venue Lowassa said he is geared to lead Tanzanians to their promised land, saying in 54 years of independence Tanzanians have suffered a lot and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of their labours and resources of their land.
Lowassa who is a former prime minister and veteran ruling party cadre said he has been in the government for many years, where he learnt that governing people and bringing about development requires dedication and love.
“ I promise that I will do whatever I pledged during the campaign period. I have visited nearly all parts of the country where I saw and listened to testimony on the suffering which our people are facing.
I say enough is enough; time has come for Tanzanians to enjoy the fruits of their land.
“During the campaign period myself and fellow UKAWA members have visited many areas where we have learnt that leadership is about falling in love with the people and the people falling in love with their leaders.
It is about serving the people with selflessness, with sacrifice and with the need to put the common good ahead of personal interests,” the candidate declared.
He reminded the gathering some of his campaign promises as free education from nursery to tertiary education, good health delivery facilities, potable water, creation of employment opportunities and having a government which is friendly to business, from small, medium to large business groups.
Lowassa also told the gathering that development is not just about constructing many roads, but also improving railway lines, the port and other infrastructures.
“Everywhere you visit in the country the common problem is that of water. People want potable water.
Once elected that will be my top priority, I will also make sure that we are providing free education from nursery to university level.
We will also make sure that there are medicines , equipments and qualified personnel in all government hospitals,” he emphasized.
Lowassa running mate Juma Haji Duni told the gathering that Tanzanians have all the reasons to remove CCM from power as the party has failed to deliver in its years in power.
“Tanzanians had many expectations that CCM would change the way of doing business, but there is completely nothing this party (CCM) can offer. Having been at the helm for many years they have nothing new to offer. It’s time to change,” he told the gathering.
Other notable leaders who spoke at the rally were Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate for Zanzibar and party secretary general Seif Shariff Hamad, CHADEMA national chairman Freeman Mbowe and veteran CCM ideologist who recently decamped, Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru.
They asked Tanzanians to vote out CCM government at the polling booths today, saying there is no need of having in power a party which had failed them for many years.
CCM winds up campaigns in style
CCM wound up campaigns in seven regions with President Jakaya Kikwete and CCM presidential candidate Dr John Magufuli taking Mwanza as their final campaign spot.
In his last campaign speech Dr Magufuli outlined a series of issues he would start working on soon after being sworn in as the fifth president of the United Republic.
Addressing a fully packed Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, Dr. Magufuli promised to work on a myriad of challenging issues such as electric power, national security and defense, union issues, agriculture, fishing and nomadic livestock keeping.
“I will make power woes history in this country. We are soon going to be power exporters in the region,” he said amid jubilation from a vast sympathetic crowd. “We have more than 55 trillion cubic metres of gas and that will make a reliable source of power generation.”
Dr Magufuli promised better living standards to members of the armed forces, both the police and army corps, promising to review their salaries and other entitlements.
Industrial development, foreign and local investment, abolishing nuisance taxes, improving workers’ salaries and the tourism sector will also be top agenda for his administration. He also highlighted the need to work on challenges facing petty traders.
Under his government, the CCM presidential hopeful said, he would work to strengthen the country’s infrastructure like roads, as well as air and water transportation.
He also expressed the need to reduce prices of building materials to make them affordable and enable people to build decent houses.
“We are also going to improve health facilities and have at least a referral hospital in each region.
We are also going to ensure affordable and accessible medical care,” he stated, specifying that the health insurance scheme would be improved for better delivery.
Education featured strongly in his address, promising to increase loan access to college and university students.
Dr Magufuli also spoke of his desire to strengthen regional and international cooperation, also pledging to work on outstanding media freedom issues which have remained unresolved for years.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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