Zitto, Dr Mkumbo and Mwigamba stripped of Chadema posts
As party vice-chairman
resigns
Chadema national chairman Freeman Mbowe (R) speaks at a press
conference in
Dar es Salaam yesterday. (Photo: Omary Fungo).
Chadema Deputy Secretary General Zitto Zuberi Kabwe, MP for Kigoma North MP, the party’s member of the central committee Dr. Kitila Mkumbo and the party’s Arusha Regional Chairman, Samson Mwigamba, all risk expulsion from the party should the allegations against them be proved “beyond reasonable doubt.”
The trio is accused of conspiring to “disintegrate” the party’s political movement as well as to denounce the names of the top party’s national leaders, particularly national Chairman Freeman Mbowe and his Secretary General Wilbroad Slaa.
Information that reached this newspaper in late evening yesterday stated that party Vice Chairman who is also Member of Parliament for Mpanda Urban constituency Said Amour Arfi resigned from the deputy chairmanship post.
The resignation from the post was confirmed by Arfi himself in his statement he availed to press yesterday evening.
According to the statement, Arfi sent a resignation letter to Chadema party secretary general Dr Wilbrod Slaa ,stating that he was tired of living in a state of mistrust and hypocrisy from his colleagues and that he was “disappointed.”
The party’s decisions were announced at a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday by the party’s legal spokesman Tundu Lissu, formerly the director of the department of law within the party.
Lissu said that the decisions were reached at a two-day central committee (CC) meeting which ended yesterday.
Lissu noted that after long investigations, the three were believed to have formed a secret network within the party with a view to derailing all party future plans.
He said such plans would have served to weaken their movement for change, a programme which he said was aimed at “liberating” the lives of the majority of the underprivileged people in the country.
He disclosed that the secret network was code-named ‘Strategic Change 2013’ -- saying that it was illegal, and that it was against Chadema’s directives whose plan was to enable the people fight for their rights.
Lissu noted that, effective yesterday, all leaders implicated in this strategy would have been stripped of all their leadership positions within the party.
He also said the Central Committee would send a letter of request the Speaker of the National Assembly to have Kabwe Zitto stripped of his position as deputy leader of the opposition camp in Parliament.
However, the three have a right of rebuttal before party members as provided under section 6.5.2 (a), (b), (c) of their party’s constitution.
When reached for comment, Dr Mkumbo simply said: “It is too early to comment on the decisions. This is a time of reflection but I may be able to say anything from tomorrow (today).”
However, Dr Mkumbo said under the party’s system of leadership principles it is important to respect the party’s decision.
Zitto and Mwigamba could not be reached for comment as we went to press.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
No comments :
Post a Comment