It’s not over yet by a long shot, vows ‘expelled’ Mbatia

Dar es Salaam. The embattled chairman of the opposition NCCR-Mageuzi, Mr James Mbatia, yesterday vowed to take action following his “expulsion” from the party.

Mr Mbatia was stripped of his membership on Saturday, but he maintained that the decision was “null and void” because it was made as a petition filed in court was still pending.

“We are making consultations with our legal team before taking action over what has happened,” he said.

Mr Mbatia was yesterday forced to hold a press conference in the open after he was barred at the last minute from addressing the media at a hotel he had booked.

Mr Mbatia, who planned to speak about the NCCR-Mageuzi leadership wrangle at a Dar es Salaam hotel, was denied entry, with hotel officials saying they were directed to cancel the event.

Speaking outside the hotel, the veteran opposition politician said the decision was against his basic freedom to respond to what was happening in the party.

“We have been told that the authorities have ordered them (the hotel) not to allow us to hold a meeting here, and they called me even before I arrived here,” Mr Mbatia told journalists without naming the person who called him.

When he arrived at the hotel in the afternoon, Mr Mbatia asked for a written notice of cancellation, and journalists were asked not to go to the conference room where the press conference was scheduled to take place.

Mr Mbatia attempted speak with journalists outside the hotel, but was also blocked, prompting him to hold an impromptu press conference on the roadside near the establishment.

NCCR-Mageuzi’s decision to strip Mr Mbatia of his membership was announced on Saturday by the party’s congress.

But Mr Mbatia said the decision interfered with the court’s independence because an initial petition was still pending.

Even worse, he added, the congress had not received the express approval of the office of the Registrar of Political Parties.

“The case is still in the court. Therefore, we did not expect any decision to be made against those who filed the petition,” Mr Mbatia said.

“I really love the peace that were are enjoying in this country. Let’s shun selfishness and know who the real culprits are. I would like to assure Tanzanians that I’m not cause of the conflict.”