Magufuli calls for transparency at CCM primaries

Dar es Salaam. President Magufuli yesterday directed those overseeing CCM’s parliamentary primaries to observe transparency with a view to promoting democracy and avoid irregularities.
“I am optimistic that the preferential polls slated for today (yesterday) and tomorrow (today) will be transparent and fair,” said the Head of State.
He said out of 10,367 of the ruling party’s cadres who collected nomination forms ahead of the October General Election, 10,321 had returned them in time.
Dr Magufuli directed that votes be counted openly, in the presence of all members so they can know what is going on.
“This is what we call democracy, genuine democracy,” he noted.
This, President Magufuli expounded, would in turn continue cementing the party’s unity.
“We need to emulate what the CCM National Executive Committee (NEC) did during the process of picking presidential candidates (for Zanzibar and Union government),” said Dr Magufuli.
In a transparent intra-party election held July 10 this year at the capital Dodoma, CCM through NEC picked the Defence minister, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, as Zanzibar presidential candidate in the October polls.
He won the nomination by over 78.65 percent, in a vote that was supervised by President Magufuli.
Dr Mwinyi, the son of the second President of Tanzania Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who garnered 129 votes beat the former Zanzibar Chief Minister, Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, and former Finance and Planning Minister, Dr Khalid Mohamed.
On the same date, the ruling party also unanimously endorsed President Magufuli as the flag bearer for the upcoming presidential polls as he had no opponent in the process.
Meanwhile, yesterday President Magufuli sworn in the Njombe Regional Commissioner, Mr Marwa Rubirya, Natural Resources and Tourism permanent secretary, Dr Aloyce Nzuki, and his deputy Dr Allan Kijazi,
Also in the list are Water permanent secretary Anthony Sanga and his deputy Nadhifa Kemikimba, Geita District Commissioner, Fadhili Juma and Songwe Regional Administrative Secretary, Dr Seif Shekilage.
President Magufuli urged them to cooperate with other leaders to help transform the country’s economy.
“We need to work hard so that we can take the country from the middle income status to a higher level,” noted Dr Magufuli.
In another development, the government has issued guidelines for obtaining Covid-19 Certificates for both nationals and foreigners living in the country and others with plans to travel outside the country.
Health minister Ummy Mwalimu said yesterday that the fee for coronavirus screening was Sh40,000 for locals, Sh60,000 for a foreign resident - and $100 for a visiting foreign national.
In a statement released to the media yesterday, she said that travellers who have a Covid-19 clearance certificate will only be seen to be legal after it is stamped and verified electronically.
“The procedure for obtaining the certificate is clear.  The screening results will be taken to the regional chief medical officer and issued within 72 hours for those who don’t have the infection and their names sent to the borders for verification,” she said.
A number of countries have put in place measures, including lockdowns, which are intended as a  way of  dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tanzania was among countries that also dealt with the situation before the number of patients declined, leading to the decision to open up skies and allow travellers to enter the country through set guidelines for guidance.