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By Frank Kimboy, Dodoma
 The CCM Central Committee has turned down appeals by East African Cooperation minister Diodorus Kamala and three deputy ministers, who were defeated in the party’s nominations for the October 31 General Election. Dr Kamala will, therefore, not defend his Nkenge parliamentary seat, having been ousted by a little known newcomer, Ms Asumpta Mshana. Ms Mshana, an official of Umoja wa Wanawake wa Tanzania (UWT), the women’s wing of CCM in Kagera Region, garnered 9,050 votes, trailed by Dr Kamala, with 6,184 votes.
According to reliable sources, the meeting at the CCM headquarters in Dodoma, which ended at midnight on Friday, also endorsed the result for Mkinga constituency, where Mr Dunstan Kitandula defeated the Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Ms Mwantumu Mahiza.
Ms Beatrice Shelukindo will be the ruling party’s flag bearer in Kilindi constituency in Tanga, where she ousted the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Aisha Kigoda. Dr Kigoda had appealed against the result, claiming that the election was marred by irregularities.
Ms Shelukindo, the wife of outgoing Bumbuli MP William Shelukindo, polled 12,040 votes against Dr Kigoda’s 2,939 votes. Mr Shelukindo was not as lucky, as he was defeated by CCM secretary-general Yusuf Makamba’s son, January. The younger Makamba recently quit his State House job to run for Parliament.
The Deputy Minister for Information, Culture and Sports, Mr Joel Bendera, also had his appeal against Mr Yusuph Nassir, who ousted him in Korogwe Urban, turned down. The top ruling party organ okayed most of the voters’ preferences during the grassroots contests. Mr Bendera was narrowly defeated, having polled 2,258 votes against Mr Nassir’s 2,513 votes.
The third deputy minister to be locked out is Dr James Wanyancha, of Fisheries and Livestock Development. Dr Wanyancha had appealed against newcomer Stephen Kebwe’s victory in the preferential poll for Serengeti constituency.
According to our sources at the meeting, the CC only overturned the preferential poll results for two constituencies. Mr Fredrick Mwakalebela, the immediate former Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) secretary general, was overlooked in favour of Ms Monica Mbega, whom he had defeated in the contest for the CCM ticket for the Iringa Urban parliamentary seat. Ms Mbega is also the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner.
Mr Mwakalebela was ejected in favour Ms Mbega over the corruption charges he is facing. He is alleged to have bribed voters during the primary poll. He got 3,897 votes against Ms Mbega’s 2,989 votes.
The former TFF official is expected to appear in an Iringa court tomorrow to answer corruption charges. Officers from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) failed to take him to court last week.
Former long-serving Cabinet minister Joseph Mungai, who lost his bid to defend his Mufindi North in the nominations, appeared in an Iringa magistrate’s court early this week on voter bribery charges filed by the PCCB.
“The CC had to consider the time that will be taken to try Mr Mwakelebela and the possible outcome of the case before the decision to axe him was made,” said a source, who asked not to be named.
Another triumphant aspirant, who was also axed, is Mr Hussein Bashe, who had trounced the outgoing Nzega MP, Mr Lucas Selelii. For that position, the CC was said to be considering the names of two losers in the primary.
It was not immediately clear who between Mr Selelii, who came second in the poll, and Dr Hamis Kigwangala, who was third, would be handed the ticket. However, sources heavily tipped Dr Kigwangala, an expert, who works for First Lady Salma Kikwete’s NGO, WAMA.
However, the Sunday Citizen could not establish why Mr Bashe, who had won with a big margin, was axed. But unconfirmed reports linked his predicament to queries over his nationality even though he was said to have submitted documents to confirm that he’s a Tanzanian citizen.
Mr Bashe had garnered 14,466 votes against Mr Selelii’s 2,706 votes. Dr Kigwangala came last with 1,566 votes.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting under the party chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete, was still going as we went to press last night. The NEC will approve the final list of over 200 candidates to carry the party’s flag to the October 31 elections.
Dodoma City was yesterday teeming with both the triumphant winners of the CCM primaries and the losers, who were hoping to have the results reversed. The meeting took a break for the Muslims, who are observing the holy month of Ramadhan, to break the fast before resuming at 9pm to complete the job.
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