Battle for CUF soul in shocking new twist

Dar es Salaam. The battle for the soul of the Civic United Front (CUF) yesterday reached a critical point after the National Electoral Commission (NEC) appointed eight members of the party as new Special Seats MPs.

The development comes after the embattled chairman of the party, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, on Sunday axed eight Special Seats MPs from the party accusing them of misconduct.

Prof Lipumba and CUF secretary general Seif Sharif Hamad each are leading a camp within the party. The axed MPs all came from Mr Hamad’s camp.

Following the move, Mr Lipumba, who is backed by the Registrar of Political Parties, wrote his decision to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai, who on Wednesday upheld the decision and declared the eight as no longer qualified to be MPs making their seats vacant.

Mr Ndugai then informed NEC of the situation and gave them green light to fill the seats. The axed MPs are Severina Mwijage, Saumu Sakala, Salma Mwassa, Riziki Mngwali, Raisa Mussa, Miza Haji, Hadija Al-Qassmy and Halima Mohammed.

Yesterday, following the Speaker’s communication, NEC appointed eight new Special Seats MPs to replace the axed ones and they are Rokia Kassim, Shamsia Mtamba, Kiza Mayeye, Zainab Amir, Hindu Mwenda, Sonia Magogo, Alffredina Kahigi and Nuru Bafadhili.

Mr Hamad earlier sent a press statement accusing state operatives in propelling the wrangles in the party.

According to him, the office of the Registrar of Political Parties, Office of the Speaker and Police are all working to weaken the party by backing Prof Lipumba.

He said the axed MPs are going to High Court to challenge the decision by Prof Lipumba, and ask the court declare and recognise them as legitimate CUF members and are therefore legitimate members of the National Assembly through CUF.

“We urge and encourage members to remain calm and follow the instructions given by the Party through legitimate leaders and the legitimate governing council,” he said.

He said the party’s Supreme Governing Council is meeting today in Zanzibar and will decide on the best way forward. As of yesterday, Ms Mwijage had already gone to court to file the case.

Meanwhile, Prof Lipumba addressed a press conference yesterday and said the Zanzibar meeting was not legitimate. He also accused Mr Hamad of abandoning office and his responsibilities.

According to Lipumba, he had to appoint Ms Magdalena Sakaya (Deputy Secretary General-Mainland) to the position in the acting capacity.

He also called on security organs to deal with Joram Baashange for “calling himself acting CUF deputy secretary general while he wasn’t.”

Mr Bashange was appointed to the position by the Supreme Council aligned to Mr Hamad.

The wrangles can be traced to August 2015 when Prof Lipumba resigned from the party’s top position protesting the Opposition coalition Ukawa to hand CCM defector Edward Lowassa the presidential candidacy ticket.

Prof Lipumba made the U-turn mid last year by withdrawing his resignation letter, efforts by Mr Hamad’s camp to lock him out of the party hit the wall when the Registrar ruled that Prof Lipumba was still the party chairman.

Mr Hamad’s side has already opened a number of cases that are still pending at the High Court on the legitimacy of Registrar’s decision and Lipumba’s actions.