CCM spells out 5 key issues as Magufuli takes the reins

Dodoma. As President John Magufuli assumes leadership of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) today, the restoration of party unity will be his main focus.

The ruling party underwent some grueling moments ahead of last year’s General Election, all of which had threatened to tear it apart.

Unity, therefore, is one of the top five issues that many CCM members think their new chairman should focus on as he takes the reigns.

Members of the CCM National Executive Committee (NEC) and the General Congress who are meeting here told The Citizen on Saturday yesterday that although there were many issues that should preoccupy the new chairman, restoration of party unity and discipline were paramount, especially if he (Dr Magufuli) wants to succeed in his party leadership.

This was also the message from the outgoing chairman, Mr Jakaya Kikwete, who noted when opening NEC meeting yesterday that although CCM survived the elections, it was shaken to the core and needed major repairs. Second, they noted that Dr Magufuli should focus on disbanding and dissolving camps that had formed within the party over the years, as these were at the centre of disunity.

NEC members noted that it was an open secret the party comprised factions, including some which were loyal to people who had either decamped or those whose influence was going to end with the outgoing leadership.

Third, according to Mr Kikwete, Dr Magufuli should give himself time to learn how he was going to work with the party NEC, if he wanted to succeed in his leadership.

“Dealing with NEC, especially at these times when the party is characterised by factions, is a very delicate undertaking. You should be very careful on how you work with NEC as it is the most important organ in making party decisions,” cautioned Mr Kikwete when opening NEC meeting yesterday morning.

He cited what happened during the last NEC meeting as an example of how NEC could be a headache to the party chair.

Fourth, Mr Kikwete and other members advised Dr Magufuli that he should not expect to always be showered with praise.

Dr Magufuli was told that he should expect criticism and blame as there was no way he was going to please each and everyone within the oldest party in the country.

Fifth, Dr Magufuli was asked to be ready to shoulder blame which could result from mistakes committed directly by himself or his lieutenants.

Failure to accept and own mistakes could lead the new chairman to be labelled as someone who was not ready to work with others.

In his remarks, Mr Kikwete also turned to NEC members, asking them to accord to the new leader cooperation and support.

“I’m sure that after surviving the 2015 storm, there can be no bigger issue to stand in your way. But this does not mean there are no challenges; they are plenty of them,” he warned.

Speaking to The Citizen on Saturday after the meeting, Hanang’ Member of Parliament Mary Nagu said the first and important task ahead of Dr Magufuli is to unite the party and strengthen it.

Sumbawanga MP Aeshi Hilaly said the priority for the new chairman was to instill discipline in the party.

“Let me just be honest, the party has been badly hurt by indisciplineamong ordinary members and leaders. People breached the party’s constitution and committed many offences, but bad enough they were left untouched. It reached a point where we were nominating people to run for leadership positions but they were facing sabotage from within,” said Mr Hilaly, noting that CCM would not move on if those issues were not to be ironed out first.

Special Seats MP and NEC member from Zanzibar, Ms Faida Mohammed Bakari, said while it was true that last year’s General Election left the party with cracks and scars, the new chairman should use wisdom to restore order and unite the party.

“The party has seen the worst and now Dr Magufuli is supposed to mend it. I’m hopeful he will register good changes. He only needs to be creative, use wisdom and continue using his courage,” she said.

According to her, Dr Magufuli’s track record at the presidency makes her and other CCM members confident that the party was going to have a strong, independent minded and hardworking chairman.

“As he unites the party, he should also work hard to attract new members to the party so that we can continue to be the strongest party in the country”.

Other NEC members were of the view that Dr Magufuli should make necessary changes in the party’s leadership structure to make its machinery more effective. Mwanza CCM regional chairman Anthony Diallo said Dr Magufuli should introduce cost-cutting measures in the party and should start by reducing the number of party workers.

“The party has a huge number of workers and they sort of become a burden. We need to reduce our expenditure and lay off all those who are redundant.”

Another NEC member and seasoned CCM lawyer Evod Mmanda said Dr Magufuli should strengthen the party leadership structure from the national to grassroots levels, so that he can have competent aides who can make his job easy to accomplish.

“Essentially, the party’s priority is to see its election manifesto executed. We are where we are (at the helm) because Tanzanians believed in our election manifesto.

“The government is implementing the same manifesto, so Dr Magufuli should form a formidable team which will oversee the full implementation of our manifesto and all will be well,” he said.

Meanwhile, CCM spokesman Christopher ole Sendeka told journalists that preparations for today’s Congress have been completed and the majority of the 2,456 delegates who would vote for their new chairman were already in Dodoma.