Lowassa strikes back on vote 'guarding' controversy
Chadema presidential candidate Edward Lowassa addresses a campaign meeting in Nzovwe, Mbeya, yesterday. PHOTO | EMMANUEL HERMAN
What you need to know:
Mr Lowassa who has been on a four-day campaign trail of the vote-rich Mbeya Region which boasts over 1.3 million registered voters, ended his speech at the Ruanda Nzovwe grounds with a call to the supporters to vote for him in large numbers on October 25 to defeat the incumbent CCM
Mbeya.Chadema presidential candidate Edward Lowassa told thousands of his supporters in Mbeya City to hang around the polling stations after casting their ballot to ensure their “victory is not stolen.”
Mr Lowassa, who has been on a four-day campaign trail of the vote-rich Mbeya Region which boasts over 1.3 million registered voters, ended his speech at the Ruanda Nzovwe grounds with a call to the supporters to vote for him in large numbers on October 25 to defeat the incumbent CCM.
This was the first time for Mr Lowassa to comment on the issue of whether people should cast their vote and go home to await announcement of the results or hang around to “guard their votes”, since the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and President Jakaya Kikwete issued warnings against the idea:
“Firstly go and vote for me en-mass so that in an event of them trying to steal votes, they won’t match our numbers. Secondly, don’t take things for granted and, as Mbowe (Chadema national chairman- Freeman) has constantly been telling you, stand firm 200 metres away from the polling centre to await the announcement of the results,” Mr Lowassa said amid cheers from the mammoth crowd.
Chadema's stance comes with accusations that the President is interfering with the work of NEC. Chadema officials claim that CCM has in the past used loopholes in the NEC system to rig the elections and perpetuate its stranglehold of State power.
At the Mbeya rally yesterday, Mr Mbowe stood his ground and rallied the opposition supporters to ensure they do not leave the voting centres “unguarded”. He reiterated that the law was firmly on their side.
“For an election to be fair and open you need an independent electoral body but regrettably NEC isn’t. For that, we are going to do whatever we can within our powers and within the confines of the laws to protect our votes and victory,” he said shortly before inviting Mr Lowassa to address the meeting.
