Opposition parties unite, one candidate for presidential election

BY DAVID MTEI

27th October 2014

Leaders of Coalition for People's Constitution (UKAWA), sign a memorandum of understanding at a rally at Jangwani grounds in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

 Opposition parties that make up the Coalition for the People's Constitution (Ukawa) yesterday agreed to have a single candidate run for the presidential post in the General Election due late next year.

 

The parties that inked the historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dar es Salaam include the leading opposition party Chadema, Civic United Front (CUF), NCCR-Mageuzi and National League for Democracy (NLD).

 

Reading contents of the signed document, Chadema’s Secretary General Dr Wilbroad Slaa said the parties have decided to sign the MoU ‘to fight for the people’s interest’ and on top of that list is mobilising the public to reject the proposed Constitution.“The agreement will allow us to work together to consolidate the four political parties’ policies to better serve the interest of the people as one party,” he explained.

 

He said the document will ease the ascension a single candidate to represent the four parties in the upcoming local government elections and next year’s general election.

 

“The coalition is now preparing a directory to guide the four parties for effective participation in the general election,” he said.

Other matters agreed on in the document include working together to protect the Union, solidify and cooperate with nongovernmental organisations to protect interests of the country.

 

Earlier, CUF Secretary General who is also the first Vice-President of Zanzibar Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad described the agreement as an historical move to remove the ruling party from power.

 

Commenting on the proposed Constitution, Hamad also said wananchi should reject it because according to him, ‘a lot of people’s views have been rejected.’

 

Sharing similar sentiments was CUF Director of Foreign Affairs Ismail Jusa, who asserted that ‘there is no way the proposed constitution shall be accepted in Zanzibar’ because according to him ‘it aims to defend only the interests of CCM.’

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN