CCM voters walk out as party loses supremacy in Dar
Ukawa, a Coalition for the Defence of the People’s Constitution has won mayoral elections in Ilala and Kinondoni Municipalities in Dar es Salaam, raising public speculations that the opposition was gradually annihilating monopoly of Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) over the nation’s commercial capital.
The nation’s largest city has for the first time in post-independence history fallen into the hands of opposition, with only Temeke, one of the three municipalities to have controversially gone to the ruling party-turned-opposition in Dar es Salaam.
With its majority mayoral seats, the opposition is likely to put the final nail to CCM’s leadership coffin in Dar es Salaam, as it is assured of producing a mayor of the city under whose jurisdiction are the municipal mayors.
CCM was gradually losing its political grip in Dar es Salaam since October 25 general election when it found itself gathering a negligible cache of only four seats in constituencies where Ukawa did not field a parliamentary candidate. The rest out of the 10 contested seats went to Ukawa.
CCM had every reason to mourn its demise and Ukawa taken in ecstasy yesterday as Charles Buyeko of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) emerged mayoral winner for Ilala Muunicipality as his comrade-in-party Boniface Jacob winning the seat for Kinondoni Municipality while Omary Said and Jumanne Amir emerging deputy mayors respectively.The nation’s largest city has for the first time in post-independence history fallen into the hands of opposition, with only Temeke, one of the three municipalities to have controversially gone to the ruling party-turned-opposition in Dar es Salaam.
With its majority mayoral seats, the opposition is likely to put the final nail to CCM’s leadership coffin in Dar es Salaam, as it is assured of producing a mayor of the city under whose jurisdiction are the municipal mayors.
CCM was gradually losing its political grip in Dar es Salaam since October 25 general election when it found itself gathering a negligible cache of only four seats in constituencies where Ukawa did not field a parliamentary candidate. The rest out of the 10 contested seats went to Ukawa.
In Kinondoni which has four constituencies, Ubungo, Kibamba, Kinondoni and Kawe, Chadema won 18 wards; CUF won four wards while the ruling party won 12 wards. In Ilala which has three constituencies namely Ilala, Segerea and Ukonga, Chadema won in 17 wards, CUF seven wards while CCM in 12 wards.
For Temeke District Council which has three constituencies, namely Temeke, Mbagala and Kigamboni, CCM won in 19 wards, CUF in seven wards while Chadema won in five wards.
Ilala Municipal Council whose election was held at Karimjee grounds, voters from the CCM boycotted the voting as chairman of the Mayoral Election Committee dismissed CCM legislators from participating in the process.
The would-be CCM voters for Kheri Kessy who was constesting for the mayoral seat and Said Mohamed as his deputy walked out of the election room at around 2pm in protest against the chairman’s decision.
Raymond Mushi, Ilala District executive officer defended the chairman’s decision, citing an election law that strictly limited the contestants to being legislators, councilors and special seat MP from districts.
CCM voters stuck to their guns, saying though the MPs hailed from Zanzibar, they were residents of the district eligible to vote for whoever they deem fit.
Amid the mayhem, the election supervisor ordered their eviction for the commencement of the process that found participation of 31 out 54 registered voters from Ukawa.
Chadema’s chairman Freeman Mbowe attributed the misconduct as CCM’s conspiracy to rig the votes.
Chadema’s official lawyer Tundu Lissu dismissed the import of election participants as an old trick by CCM saying it’s no longer effective in Dar es Salaam as an opposition stronghold.
Kinondoni Municipal Director Titus Kagurumjuli announced Boniface Jacob from Chadema as a winner for mayoral election in Kinondoni after defeating his rival Benjamin Sitta from the ruling party CCM.
The Kinondoni Mayoral election was held under tight police security and supervised by Chairman of Election Celestine Onditi.
Earlier, around 10am police were forced into shooting in the air to control the crowd of the thronging supporters of their respective contestants.
Kagurumjuli said the newly Kinondoni mayor Jacob who is Ubungo ward councilor scored 38 out of 58 votes while Sita (CCM) scored only 20.
He declared Jumanne Amir (CUF) who serves as Tandale ward council as deputy mayor of Kinondoni winner of mayoral deputy seat after scoring 38 against or George Manyama’s (CCM) 19 votes.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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