CCM smells election rat in four regions
AS CCM continues with its intra-party elections for various positions countrywide, the ruling party on Monday announced that it had cancelled some elections and suspended results in four regions of Simiyu, Arusha, Mbeya and Urban West in Zanzibar.
The party’s Secretary General, Mr Daniel Chongolo, who also doubles as Director of Elections for the party further said the decision was due to malpractices such as allegations of corruption among the candidates.
“Election of leaders for the CCM youth wing in Simiyu region was cancelled over allegations of corruption amidst some candidates, who were vying for various posts,” Mr Chongolo told journalists at CCM headquarters in Dodoma, on Monday.
As for Arusha and Mbeya regions, Mr Chongolo said the party suspended election results for positions of membership to the National Executive Committee (NEC) to pave the way for investigations on allegations of corruption levelled against some candidates.
“The investigations on corruption allegations in Mbeya and Arusha will determine whether the results will be upheld, in case the claims are proved to be untrue.
“Likewise, the investigations will inform us if there is a need to conduct fresh elections, especially if the malpractices will be confirmed to be true,” Mr Chongolo explained.
The party’s top executive further told journalists that the party has suspended announcement of election results for positions of membership to NEC in Urban West region in Zanzibar.
“The decision to suspend the results in Urban West region is due to some malpractices in which some members are alleged to have sneaked ballot boxes stuffed with votes in the counting rooms,” he explained.
As such, Mr Chongolo said the party is working on authenticity of the results before making a decision on whether to upheld them or conduct new elections.
On the other hand, Mr Chongolo urged candidates to abide by rules and regulations governing elections within the ruling party, warning that any dirty trick(s) will not be tolerated.
“There are also some candidates who have been using names of top leaders to win trust of voters on pretext that they have been asked by the leaders to contest for the positions and yet that is not the case,” he cautioned.
He directed the contestants to go for their policies and how they will strive for the implementation of the election manifesto, when seeking nominations instead of using CCM top brass leaders’ names to win voters’ hearts.
CCM is continuing with its internal elections at various levels and its wings namely youths, parents, women where by now, the elections are conducted at regional level to elect representatives in the national executive committee as well as central committee.
