Lowassa spurned on divisive view

THE National Electoral Commission (NEC) and CCM have expressed concern over the tendency by UKAWA Union presidential candidate Mr Edward Lowassa and other politicians of using religious, tribal, gender and racial sentiments in their campaign rallies against the Election Code of Ethics and rules 2015.

NEC has warned that it will not hesitate to take sterner action, including banning a political party or candidate from conducting campaigns if violating candidates or parties will fail to substantiate their claims before the Ethics Committee.

NEC Chairman, Judge (retired) Damian Lubuva, said in a statement issued in Dar es Salaam yesterday referring to the move by Mr Lowassa of Chadema to ask the Christian faithful from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT) to vote for him.

The NEC statement said that this was unacceptable as it is bent on dividing Tanzanians, directing them as it is to choose leaders along religious lines. Judge Lubuva pointed out that Mr Lowassa’s move was a breach of Section 2.2 (i) of the 2015 Election Code of Ethics for presidential, parliamentary and civic election candidates.“The Code prohibits political parties or candidates asking for votes basing on religious, tribal, racial and gender lines,” he said in the statement. Judge Lubuva reiterated the need for political parties to adhere to Section 2.1 (k) of Code of Ethics that requires candidates not to use houses of worship for their campaigns. The section also requires candidates not to use religious leaders to campaign for their political parties or candidates.

He said it was an obligation for all political parties to focus their campaigns on propagating their policies to enable the people to hear and evaluate them instead of uttering words meant to cause antagonism between the government and NEC.

On Mr Lowassa’s remarks in which he was quoted as telling an ELCT congregation in Tabora that it was now the turn for a Lutheran President, Judge Lubuva said the presidential candidate and other Chadema leaders have been making remarks that misled the people.

Judge Lubuva noted that Mr Lowassa and other Chadema leaders have been telling the people in their campaign rallies that their votes would be stolen while NEC would also cause a conflict without elaborating.

“Their statements are very disappointing and intimidating as they are very dangerous, especially at this point,” he said, adding that the statements were unacceptable since all the political parties and their candidates were given all the directions in the whole process of voting and counting of the votes for all elections.

Judge Lubuva also singled out for blame, National Chadema Chairman Mr Freeman Mbowe for allegedly saying that the commission has always supported and favoured CCM, cautioning that such statements could cause a breach of the peace.

He said the statement by Mr Mbowe was baseless since the commission has been conducting all the electoral processes fairly without favouring any political party or candidate.

In another development, CCM Publicity and Ideology Secretary Nape Nnauye has said that Mr Lowassa’s statements were against the country’s traditions and beliefs towards ensuring that Tanzania remains one nation with uninterrupted unity, peace and harmony.

“Despite being against electoral laws and Election Code of Ethics 2015 signed by all political parties, the statement by Mr Lowassa is against the country’s resolve to ensure unity, peace and harmony,” Mr Nnauye said.

He called on the NEC to take legal action against the UKAWA presidential candidate and other politicians who make remarks meant to divide the nation along religious, racial, gender and tribal lines.

Commenting on the Lowassa’s statements requiring Lutherans to vote for him on the ground that it was now the turn for a Lutheran President, Mr Nnauye said CCM did not believe that the statement constituted an official position of the church.

/Daily News.