Kikwete leads CCM onslaught on ex-premier

Dar es Salaam. President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday criticised the defection of former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa to the opposition, equating it to that of an “errant child who runs away from his family to join the enemy”.

The ruling party will not give the former PM room to beat it in the October General Election, Mr Kikwete said..

“When your child wrongs you and joins your opponents, you deal with him or her as you would have dealt with the group to show that you are the father,” Mr Kikwete declared. It was the first time he was speaking since Mr Lowassa’s defection from CCM to the main opposition party, Chadema. Without mentioning names, President Kikwete told the cheering crowd outside the CCM headquarters in downtown Dar es Salaam: “Those who have quit CCM are now in our crosshairs and on the right side for us to strike them.”

The President was addressing party members who turned out to escort the CCM candidate for the presidency, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, as he collected the National Electoral Commission nomination forms.

Mr Kikwete’s remarks will widen the growing gap betweem him and his political bosom friend, who briefly served in his administration as prime minister before stepping down over the the Richmond power scandal in 2008. The two campaigned together in 1995 in pursuit of the presidency and were popularly referred to as “Boys to Men”.

Mr Lowassa, who defected two weeks ago and was endorsed yesterday to run for the presidency on an opposition ticket, blamed the CCM leadership for what he described as a bungled nomination exercise to pick the party’s candidate for the presidency.

The former PM and Monduli MP cried foul after he was locked out of the nominations and ditched the ruling party.

Mr Lowassa has been a member of CCM throughout his political and public life. Deputy Minister Makongoro Mahanga and several CCM MPs have also decamped to Chadema.

Yesterday, a visibly angry President Kikwete said CCM would not be weakened by their exit. “These are people who are power hungry and want to lead this country by all means to get what they want,” Mr Kikwete said. “But I want to let them know that CCM is a strong party and will remaim that way forever.”

The President said the ruling party has the ability, power and knowledge to win the election. He announced that he had come in person to honour Dr Magufuli and also to mark the beginning of a new task for the party. And he warned “those who think CCM is a small party that can be intimated and frightened by people who are there to secure their interests” that they were lying to themselves.

Mr Kikwete added: “CCM is the party of the people and no one is above it. We are the largest party and no one will be allowed to play around with us...do not worry, therefore, because we will win this election and our opponents will be surprised because we have all the means to guarantee that.” Yesterday, he said, was just the beginning of the battle and, on 22 August, CCM would launch the beginning of campaigns at a place in the city that is to be announced later. The President will be in attendance. Other party leaders expected are CCM Secretary General Abdulrahman Kinana, who took the cue and threw barbs at the defectors. This year’s election is hardly competitive, he said, because CCM is dealing with people he dismissed as rejects. His party had nothing to worry about, he added, because CCM has been around for a long time and its victory in the poll is guaranteed.

Business came to a standstill in the city centre when Dr Magufuli started off his journey from the party’s Dar es Salaam offices at Lumumba, heading towards the NEC offices. People from all walks of life thronged CCM offices as early as 9am, singing and chanting in praise of the party’s flag bearer in the October elections.

Dr Magufuli arrived at the party’s offices around 10:40am in the company of his running mate, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan. He later got into an open vehicle and started the journey to the NEC offices via Morogoro Road and Biti Titi and then Ohio Street where the NEC offices are located.

It was a sea of green and yellow in the city, and security agents had a tough time controlling the mass of people who came to witness the event. Dr Magufuli was escorted by party officials, including Secretary General Abdurahman Kinana, Publicity and Ideology Secretary Nape Nnauye and Deputy Chairman (mainland) Philip Mangula. On returning to Lumumba, Dr Magufuli was received by another group of CCM supporters led by President Kikwete. Dr Magufuli said he understands the expectations of Tanzanians and he would serve them wholeheartedly. “I know what Tanzanians want,” he said, “and I understand their challenges because I have worked with almost every president of this country.”

According to the candidate, he does not see anyone beating CCM in the election and urged Tanzanians not to discriminate against each other on the basis of tribe, religion and political affiliation. Ms Hassan said there was no doubt that CCM would win the coming election.