Tanzania’s opposition now settles on ex-PM Lowassa
CCM presidential candidate John Pombe Magufuli and his running mate, Samia Suluhu Hassan thank delegates after their nomination. He will face former prime minister Edward Lowasa in the October elections. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Lowassa was Prime Minister between 2005 and 2008, when he resigned over corruption allegations.
- The ruling CCM party has dominated politics since modern Tanzania was formed in 1964.
- Tanzania, with over 50 million people, is East Africa’s most populous country, with economic growth of more than seven per cent, according to the World Bank.
Tanzania’s four main opposition parties have picked former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa as a joint presidential candidate three months ahead of a General Election scheduled for October 25.
Mr Lowassa, 61, defected last week from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party to join Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema).
But President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday chided his defection, equating it to that of an “errant child who runs away from his family to join the enemy.” President Kikwete said the ruling party will not give the former PM room to defeat it.
Mr Lowassa was Prime Minister between 2005 and 2008, when he resigned over corruption allegations.
He denies the charges.
He will run for the top post for Chadema, as well as the Civic United Front, NCCR-Mageuzi and the National League for Democracy.
Mr Lowassa had joined the race earlier this month to run as the CCM’s presidential candidate, where he was seen as a frontrunner among 42 candidates, but lost out to government minister John Pombe Magufuli.
Following his defeat, Mr Lowassa said the ruling party was infested with leaders who are dictators, undemocratic and surrounded with greedy power mongers.
In his first remarks since Mr Lowassa’s defection from CCM, Mr Kikwete said: “Even in life when your child wrongs you by joining the side of your opponents you deal with him or her as you would have dealt with the group to show that you are the father.”
And without mentioning any names, the President, who is also the ruling party chairman, added: “Those who have quit CCM are now on our crosshairs and the right side for us to strike them.”
President Kikwete was addressing the members who had turned out to escort the CCM candidate for the presidency, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, to collect the National Electoral Commission nomination forms.
The remarks by the President widened political gap between him and his erstwhile political bosom friend. In 1995, the two campaigned together and bid for the presidency and were popularly referred to as “Boys II Men.”
The ruling CCM party has dominated politics since modern Tanzania was formed in 1964.
Currently, it has two-thirds of seats in Parliament.
The four opposition parties will also field joint candidates for parliamentary and council seats.
“Ours is the coalition of victory. We are out to take over from CCM,” Chadema national chairman Freeman Mbowe told a meeting of the party on Tuesday.
“Our party’s central committee nominated Mr Lowassa to run for president last week, and the decision was endorsed by the national congress.”
Mr Juma Duni Haji, who recently rresigned as a minister for infrastructure development in the semi-autonomous Zanzibar Government, was named Mr Lowasa’s running mate.
President Kikwete cannot stand again after serving two terms.
During his much-publicised defection recently, Mr Lowasa said he he wanted “to bring positive and meaningful change in our society.”
Tanzania, with over 50 million people, is East Africa’s most populous country, with economic growth of more than seven per cent, according to the World Bank.
Despite advances, the country remains poor by regional and international standards, with agriculture the key sector, providing a quarter of the Gross Domestic Product.
