Lowassa: My promise on election campaigns

Former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa displays a folder containing Chadema presidential nomination forms after picking them up at the opposition party’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | EDWIN MJEWAHUZI     

                         Dar es Salaam. Former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa yesterday picked up nomination forms to vie for the presidency through the opposition Chadema and promised civilised and clean campaigns. And, for the third time, Chadema Secretary-General Willibrod Slaa was conspicuously absent although all other top leaders of the party were in attendance at the historic event that attracted hundreds of supporters. Minutes after collecting the forms, Mr Lowassa took a swipe at his political foes in the ruling party who have been attacking him since he defected to the Opposition on Monday. Flanked by his wife Regina and other members of his family, Mr Lowassa arrived at Chadema headquarters in Kinondoni at around 12.40pm and proceeded to the office of the party’s secretary general to officially sign the guest book before he was given the nomination forms by party’s chairman Freeman Mbowe.

Ufipa Street, where the party’s offices are located, was closed for almost two hours as supporters thronged the party headquarters, eager to see Mr Lowassa who, on Monday, decamped to the Opposition citing blatant disregard of the CCM constitution, regulations and rules during the CCM presidential nomination that handed victory to Infrastructure Minister John Magufuli.

Outside the party’s headquarters, supporters cheered Mr Lowassa, chanting “Rais… Rais… Rais” (President! President! President!) on arrival and departure. The place was already crowded by 11am and business was paralysed until the former PM left. Mr Lowassa’s security team had a hard time managing the crowd as everyone wanted to shake hands with the former CCM member who stunned the country on Monday with his decision and raised political temperatures to levels rarely experienced in the country.

According to some political observers, this year’s General Election will not only be historic but also competitive, given the return of multi-party democracy.

Addressing party delegates after collecting the nomination forms, Mr Lowassa said he would stage clean and civilised campaigns and would not entertain insults and mudslinging. He added: “I understand that Tanzanians need change and, if the Opposition remains united, a landslide victory will be obtained. We need numbers in order to grab many constituencies and I am sure we will get them.’’

He went on to hit back at some CCM cadres who have attacked him since he quit the ruling party, saying: “I want to clearly warn those who have been attacking me and I want them to understand that they are wasting their time.”

Some CCM members have dismissed him as a power-hungry individual. His critics include Mr Pius Msekwa, a veteran politician and former Speaker of the National Assembly.

In another development, the Chadema secretary-general did not make an appearance at the meeting, casting doubt as to whether he was really in tune with the leaders who welcomed Mr Lowassa to the party.

Yesterday, a Kiswahili tabloid reported that Dr Slaa had tendered his resignation letter to the party chairman in protest at Mr Lowassa’s joining the party. The Citizen could not independently verify if indeed Dr Slaa had ditched the party

The whereabouts of Dr Slaa remain top on the minds of political pundits since the news of the defection of former Prime Minister to Chadema on Monday.

Dr Slaa, one of the leading lights in the main opposition party, has skipped three crucial back-to-back meetings to welcome Mr Lowassa to Chadema.

He did not appear at meetings on Monday when top leaders of the opposition coalition Ukawa formally opened its doors to the former PM and also on Tuesday evening, when Mr Lowassa went public with his move to Chadema despite his central party position. He also did not show up for yesterday’s event that was attended by the party’s top brass.

The last time Dr Slaa was seen in public was in leaked photos showing members of his party’s Central Committee meeting with Mr Lowassa on Sunday night at Bahari Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam. His mobile number known to the media has been switched off since.

Yesterday, party lawyer Tundu Lissu moved to allay fears about Dr Slaa’s absence. All party officials attended all crucial meetings, he said.

Although he fell short of mentioning names, Mr Lissu said the leaders had unanimously agreed on Mr Lowassa as the party’s flag-bearer.

He was backed by the party chairman, who asked the media to report accurate information saying. “Rumours do not help,” he said. “I think it is fair to report information from the right source.”

But Mr Mbowe did not disclose the whereabouts of the party’s secretary-general and neither did he give any reason as to why the latter had skipped key functions since Mr Lowassa’s defection.

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