Ban for six cadres isn’t over, ruling party warns

Dar es Salaam. The long wait for CCM’s six presidential hopefuls, who were banned from conducting campaigns to vie for the top job, is yet to be over.

This is even as their suspension time had elapsed several months ago, but the party has maintained that they are still under watch, meaning that anything wrong they do might cost them.

Although some analysts expect that the next week CCM’s top organs  meetings in Dodoma will give the final word over the suspended cadres,  party’s Ideology and Publicity secretary Nape Nnauye told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the six cadres were still being investigated.

The suspended cadres included Former Prime Ministers Edward Lowassa and Frederick Sumaye, Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe, Minister of State Stephen Wassira, Communications, Science and Technology deputy minister January Makamba and former Energy and Minerals minister William Ngeleja.

Their suspension period has continued even as the season for primaries within the party has been edging closer. Mr Nnauye insisted yesterday that anyone who would disobey the party directive would face the consequences.

The cadres were slapped with one year ban in February 2014, and when the time expired early this year the ruling party’s Central Committee (CC) opted for an extension of the ban saying they were to investigate if the six had fully observed all the conditions they were given during the 12-month period.

Yesterday, Mr Nnauye told journalists that investigations on the six were still ongoing and he was not in the position to say when the ban would be lifted.

He reiterated that until they are cleared, and the ban lifted, none of the cadres will compete for any elective post as party regulations demand.

“I said earlier (when the ban was extended) that the investigations could take two weeks, five months or even a year and during that period the six will observe the ban. In the meantime, they are not allowed to contest for any elective post, and that is the party’s regulation which was passed even before I was born,” said Mr Nnauye.

Back in March, Mr Nnauye said that the party’s regulation that was used to bar the six was clear that whoever breached the party’s code of conduct ought to be suspended from engaging himself or herself in matters related to the punishment for a period of not less than 12 months.

He said the party was under no obligation to give their verdict on the punishment meted out to the six cadres because as per the regulation, the time may be extended if the party deems it fit.

Yesterday he cautioned that similar actions will be imposed on any cadre who would stage premature campaigns and stressed that it was just a matter of enforcing the party’s principles.

“Again the party does not bar members from declaring their aspirations, but the party is against campaigning before the right time. CCM can’t allow its cadres to behave like loose cannons,” insisted Mr Nnauye.

Regarding the declaration by Former Premier Lowassa on Friday before a crowd in Arusha that he will announce his ‘race to the State House’ on May 24 at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium, Mr Nnauye said the relevant party authorities would look into it and take appropriate measures.

“Mr Lowassa is of sound mind and is aware of party’s rules and regulations. We shall be meeting with him at the Central Committee,” he said.

According to Mr Nnauye, the cases of all six cadres are handled by the party’s Ethics Committee and they might be discussed in next week’s forthcoming CC and National Executive Council (NEC) meetings in Dodoma.

He said the meetings, scheduled for May 22 to 24, will have the General Election as the main agenda, but no ban is expected to be lifted then.

Speaking on the official process of getting CCM’s presidential contender, he said the meetings will come out with a time table for primary elections on all posts from councillors, members of parliament to presidency.

“We will have a lot to discuss, especially how to improve our primary elections and rules of getting suitable candidates,” he revealed.

He said the party will ban all types of fanfares during form picking and submission. This will apply for all posts. At the same time, government leaders, regardless of their positions, will be forced to drop official protocol when picking and returning their nomination forms.