Chadema wants returning officer, assistant to be replaced

Chadema Coast Zone secretary Casmir Mabina

What you need to know:

Addressing a press conference on November 23, 2017, Chadema Coast Zone secretary Casmir Mabina said they had lost confidence in the returning officer after openly showing his support to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi CCM.

Dar es Salaam. Chadema in the Coast Zone has tendered a letter to the National Electoral Commission (NEC), demanding that a returning officer in Ubungo District and assistant returning officer from Saranga Ward be replaced.

Addressing a press conference on November 23, 2017, Chadema Coast Zone secretary Casmir Mabina said they had lost confidence in the returning officer after openly showing his support to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi CCM.

“The returning officer has been using social media to campaign for CCM, which is prohibited by law for someone holding his position. We have also proved that he is a member to the CCM National Executive Committee (NEC), which is also against the law,” he said.

During the meeting he displayed to reporters pictures showing the returning officer, who was also a district executive director (DED) in CCM uniforms at various ruling party’s NEC events.

With regard to the assistant returning officer from Saranga Ward, he said they accused him of hiding reports on a CUF petition and of convening a ward ethics committee meeting without informing the respondents.

He said the assistant returning officer allowed people, who were not members of the ethics committee to attend the meeting, which suspended campaign rallies of their candidate in the ward.

“He denied the party the right to natural justice, which has made us lose trust in him and together with the returning officer we have asked NEC to replace them,” he said.

According to him, the party’s letter to the director of elections with reference No CDM.UBG.DST.2017.VOL 2 dated November 21, 2017 received at the electoral commission yesterday November 22, 2017.