Headache as 433 CCM cadres pick forms to vie for Eala slots

Dar es Salaam. The ruling party, CCM, is going to have a difficult time to nominate its representatives for the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) election to be held next month due to a huge number of aspirants.

The deadline for returning nomination forms was Thursday and by yesterday at least 433 aspirants had put forth their names. Out of the total number, 400 aspirants are from Mainland Tanzania and the remaining are from Zanzibar.

Yesterday, CCM Ideology and Publicity secretary (Zanzibar) Waride Bakari Jabu said in a press statement that the Isle’s executive committee under the party’s vice chairman and Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, met and discussed with 33 aspirants.

According to her, seven aspirants women and 26 are men.

The Eala election is going to be conducted in the next Parliament scheduled to start from April 4.

Tanzania has nine Eala slots to fill and they are categorised into four groups: Group A is women candidates, Group B is for Zanzibar, Group C is for opposition parties and the final group is for Mainland candidates.

CCM is currently represented by seven Eala members, and their share is expected to go down by one member due to the increase in opposition Members of Parliament.

This means given their majority number in Parliament, CCM candidates are assured of wining in all three categories with the exception for one settled for the opposition.

However, out of the 433 aspirants, only six will finally make it to the Arusha-based regional august House.

“It is a tight race. There are more than 400 of us. Party leaders say they have never seen such an outcome. The enthusiasm is amazing, but it is going to test the nerves of the ruling party’s secretariat,” said one of the CCM aspirants, who preferred anonymity.

Efforts to get CCM Ideology and Publicity secretary Humphrey Polepole to talk about the matter did not bear any fruit. The party is expected to make its final selection on Tuesday.

Already two opposition parties, Chadema and ACT Wazalendo, have finalised their internal selections. Chadema nominated former Home Affairs minister Lawrence Masha and former Nyamagana Mp Ezekiel Wenje, while ACT-Wazalendo nominated Prof Kitila Mkumbo.

(Additional Report by Haji Mtumwa)