Tanzania's former PM Sumaye ditches opposition party Chadema
What you need to know:
Former Prime Minister and Chadema cadre Mr Fredrick Sumaye has ditched the opposition party Chadema which he joined during the past general election in 2015.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s Former Prime Minister Fredrick Sumaye has ditched the main opposition party Chadema which he joined shortly before the 2015 General Elections.
This comes a week after his bid to retain his seat as Coastal Zone party chairman flopped.
Mr Sumaye told reporters in Dar es Salaam today, December 4, 2019 that he has no intention of joining any other political party following his decision to quit the main opposition party.
The former premier’s bid to retain his post flopped after 48 party members voted against him, said he was a victim after his decision to collect forms to vie for the party’s national chairmanship.
“The problem started when I took forms to vie for the party’s national chairmanship. I believed I was exercising my constitutional right but some of the party members took it differently,” said Mr Sumaye.
He added, “My intention was to erase the notion that the seat (chairmanship) is reserved for certain individuals but I wasn’t understood.”
For that, Mr Sumaye said he has been forced to quit the party but he insisted that he wouldn’t join another political party.
The former Premier insisted initially he quit the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) for the main opposition in order to strengthen democracy.
He said he believed that by having a strong opposition voters will have wide range of of candidates to select from.
“I didn’t quit CCM due to hatred but I did because I wanted to strengthen democracy in the country…my decision wasn’t only aimed at strengthen the opposition but also CCM; the strong opposition will always put CCM at their toes,” said Mr Sumaye.
He refuted reports which went viral on social media recently that he was planning to defect to Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT)-Wazalendo so that he could run for presidency in the 2020 General Elections.
Mr Sumaye called upon Chadema national chairman Mr Freeman Mbowe to strengthen democracy within the party which is according to him is ‘fragmanted’.
The decision by Mr Sumaye to withdraw his candidature leaves Mr Mbowe and Ndanda Member of Parliament Mr Cecil Mwambe as the contestant for the party’s top post.
