JK seeks reelection as Rungwe, Slaa and Lipumba oppose him

Dar es Salaam. On April 10, 2010 the chairman of the National Electoral Com-mission (NEC), Judge Lewis Makame, unveiled the schedule for the October 31, 2010 General Election.

On July 13, 2010, NEC announced thatthe names of those interested in contesting for the presidency, parliamentary seats and councillorships would be declared on August 19.

The electoral body also announced that the results of the vote would be faxed from polling stations to simplify the collection of key statistics and that equipment for that would be distributed countrywide.

Election director Rajabu Kiravu said: “The results of the vote this year would be collected through fax. We have already the sucient number of equipment including computers that we will distribute to all polling stations across the country. About Sh60.2 billion is expected to be expended in the polls.”

NEC Chairman Judge Makame also announced that forms for contesting the presidency would be issued on August 1 and for parliamentary seats and councillorship on August 6 and that on August Augost 19 NEC would declare approved contestants.

“The registration of voters has been completed. The number of registered voters has gone up from 15,919,749 to 21,210,187, equivalent to 94 percent of 22,660,543 Tanzanians, who were expected to register,” said Judge Makame.

After NEC’s announcement, the process of the polls began. When Dr Wilbrod Slaa was nominated to contest for the presidency by the opposition Chadema, the ruling CCM par-ty had already nominating its national chairman, Mr Jakaya Kikwete, while the Civic United Front (CUF) nominated Prof Ibrahim Lipumba as its presidential candidate The chairman of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema who contested for the presidency in past elections this time did not do so and instead he chose to vie for the Vunjo parliamentary seat.

NCCR-Mageuzi cadre Mr Hashim Rungwe also came forward this time around to vie for the country’s top job on the party ticket.

On August 1, there was much activity at the o.ces of NEC in Dar es Salaam as cadres of various political parties escorted nominees of their political parties as they went to pick forms to vie for the presidency.

On the day, TLP’s presidential contestant, Mutamwega Mugahywa, postponed to collect the forms claiming that he was not prepared yet.

However, SAU party Chairman Paul Kyara and his Democratic Party (DP) counterpart, Rev Christopher Mtikila, were the first to pick the forms. On August 2, Mr Kikwete and Mr Rungwe also did pick the forms before Dr Slaa did the same on August 9.A total of eight contestants from different political parties were to run for the country’s top once.

They were Mr Jakaya Kikwete (CCM), Dr Wilbrod Slaa (Chadema), Prof Ibrahim Lipumba (CUF), Mr Hashim Rungwe (NCCR-Mageuzi), Mr Peter Mziray (APPT), Mr Fahmi Dovutwa (UPDP), Mr Mutamwega Mugahiwa (TLP) and Mr Paul Kyara (SAU).

However, the signs of CCM’s victory were seen even before the voting day.

CCM had already won a number of seats after some of its aspirants including ministers won seats as their rivals were found with various shortcomings as per the NEC regulations and procedures.

This enabled CCM to win 16 constituencies unopposed in August.

Some of the CCM influential members and ministers, who stepped forward to vie for parliamentary seats and councillorship positions on the party ticket failed to make it in opinion polls towards the end of August. At least more than 60 former MPs failed to sail through in the opinion polls marred by claims of foul plays.

Natural and Tourism minister Shamsa Mwangunga and Education and Vocational Training minister Mwantunu Mahiza were on the list of those, who nose-dived in the opinion polls.

The others who did not make it were East African Cooperation minister Diodorus Kamala; Information, Culture and Sports Deputy minister Joel Bendera; Agriculture and Food Security Deputy minister James Wanyancha; Health and Social Welfare Deputy minister Dr Aisha Kigoda and Works Deputy minister in the third phase government Hamza Mwenegoha.

In the Korogwe Urban constituency, Bendera collected 2,258 votes as he found himself being surpassed by a di¤erence of at least 300 votes of Yussuf Abdallah Nassir, who in total garnered 2,513 votes. There were a total of 5,587 valid votes cast.

The results of the opinion polls also saw influential people including former Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander Alfred Tibaigana failing to get through for the Muleba South seat. Former Tanzania Tra.c Police Commander James Kombe also failed to make it in the opinion polls when he attempted to contest the Vunjo parliamentary seat.

Former Dar es Salaam City Mayor Adam Kimbisa, who wanted to vie for the Dodoma seat, also failed to penetrate through the opinion polls  as well as Abbas Kandoro, who was defeated in the Kalenga constituency.

Global Publishers director Eric Shigongo got no vote in his bid for the Buchosa seat.

In the Mtera constituency, CCM announced that its veteran politician, John Malecela, was defeated by Livingstone Lusinde.

Others who lost their seats included Joseph Mungai (Mufindi North), Jack who lost their seats included Joseph Mungai (Mufindi North), Jackson Makweta (Njombe North), Monica Mbega (Iringa Urban), Felix Mrema (Arusha Urban) and Prof Philemoni Sarungi (Rorya), Mudhihir Mudhihir (Mchinga) and Juma Ngasongwa (Ulanga West).

Also making the list of losers were Nazir Karamagi (Bukoba Rural), Ibrahim Msabaha (Kibaha Rural), Wilson Masilingi (Muleba South) and Shamsa Mwangunga (Ubungo).

Until August 22, CCM had won a number of seats including the Mlele constituency from which Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda comes after CUF contestant Abasi Rashid withdrew from the race.

In the Mtama constituency, Foreign Affairs and International Relations minister Bernard Membe won the seat against Isaya Ndaka (TLP), who missed the required number of trustees.

Home Affairs minister Lawrence Masha also made it through via NEC reg-ulations against his rival, Ezekiel Wenje (Chadema) and Energy Mineral minister William Ngeleja also sailed through.

After that, registered voters got pre-pared to cast their votes in the October 31 polls that were fourth since multiparty elections were reintroduced in Tanzania in 1992.

President Kikwete was seeking relection after he was elected into the highest o.ce of the land for the first time in 2005.

President Kikwete faced a challenge from other six political parties that fielded their presidential candidates.

They were Dr Ibrahim Lipumba of the Civic United Front (CUF), Dr Wilbroad Slaa (Chadema), Mutamwega Mugahywa (TLP), Peter Kuga Mziray (ATPT-Maen-deleo), Hashim Rungwe (NCCR-Mageuzi) and Fahmi Dovutwa (UPDP).

The polls were run concurrently with Zanzibar’s General Election as President Amani Abeid Karume from the CCM par-ty was ending his constitutional ten year rule of Zanzibar.

Those who picked forms to contest the presidency were the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, who vied on the CCM ticket and Seif Sharif Hamad, who contested on the CUF ticket as that was the fourth time for the latter to do so.

In the polls, registered voters cast their votes to choose 236 Members of Parliament of the United Republic and 81 members in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.

Other thousands of aspirants vied for councillorship positions regional and district administrations.

This year’s polls in Tanzania will be run under the new Electoral Expenses Act that aims at controlling corruption in seeking votes from electors.