By Frank Kimboy and Bernard Lugongo
The outgoing Maswa MP, Mr John Shibuda, yesterday officially confirmed he was decamping from CCM to Chadema.
Shibuda told The Citizen in a telephone interview that he would vie for the parliamentary seat on the opposition partys ticket.
I can confirm today that tomorrow (today) I will pick nomination forms from Chadema and hopefully return the forms the same day, Shibuda, who becomes the first losing MP to decamp to the opposition, said.
He said he will run in the newly created Maswa West Constituency in Shinyanga Region instead of his old base. Shibudas defection came after he was trounced by Robert Simon Kesena in the race for the CCM ticket in his former constituency.
He was in the spotlight early this year when he declared he would oppose President Jakaya Kikwete in the race for the presidency on a CCM ticket. He withdrew, however, as the nomination dates approached and threw his weight behind Kikwete.
Mr Shibuda said he decided to contest for Maswa West seat via Chadema because the party has good plans regarding the countrys development. He said he wanted to finish what he had started for the people of Maswa.
No senior Chadema official was available yesterday to confirm Shibudas move but the partys deputy secretary general, Mr Zitto Kabwe, was quoted at the weekend as confirming there were talks regarding Shibudas move.
Another CCM official, Mr Thomas Nyimbo, who was omitted in favour of Gerson Lwenge, reportedly picked up parliamentary nomination forms yesterday to vie for the Njombe West seat via Chadema.
His personal assistant confirmed the reports over the telephone. Sorry he is in the district headquarters picking up the forms, she said.
As Shibuda announced his intention, other CCM members who were locked out of the race by the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) during its recent meeting in Dodoma declared they would stay put and try their luck next time.
Mr Fredrick Mwakalebela whose nomination was quashed in favour of Ms Monica Mbega, who is also the Kilimanjaro regional commissioner, in Iringa Town said he was satisfied with the partys top body decision.
I respect the decision made by the NEC and believe it has valid reasons to do so, he said. Mr Athuman Larome who won the Moshi Urban preferential polls, but had his victory rescinded in favour of Justine Sarakana who came third, also said he would stick with CCM.
As a politician, you should learn how to give in Sometimes you must agree with what the partys hierarchy decides, Mr Larome said.
Meanwhile, the Chadema contestantant for Sumve Constituency, Mr Milton Rutabana, has been denied forms over failure to adhere to election rules.
Speaking to journalists in Kwimba District yesterday, the National Electoral Committee (NEC) official in charge of Kwimba and Sumve constituencies, Mr Kalala Suleiman, charged that Mr Rutabana had no official letter from his party introducing him as Chademas candidate for the constituency.
According to the election laws and regulations, any contestant who shows up at NEC offices to collect forms is required to have an introductory letter from his or her party. Mr Rutabana lacked such requirements and arrived with the list of referees instead, he said.
He said several aspirants in the constituency had already collected forms without any problem.
He named those who collected forms for Kwimba Constituency as Mr Shanif Mansoor (CCM), Bujiku Yusuph (UDP), Ligwa Ndalawah (CUF), as well as Leticia Nyerere, the wife of Madaraka Nyerere, the First Phase presidents eldest son. She is vying for the seat through a Chadema ticket.
Those who collected forms from NEC, for Sumve Constituency, yesterday are Mr Richard Ndasa (CCM) and Julius Samamba (CUF).
Source: The Citizen:
Mtazamo: CCM kazi wanayo mwaka huu!!!
The outgoing Maswa MP, Mr John Shibuda, yesterday officially confirmed he was decamping from CCM to Chadema.
Shibuda told The Citizen in a telephone interview that he would vie for the parliamentary seat on the opposition partys ticket.
I can confirm today that tomorrow (today) I will pick nomination forms from Chadema and hopefully return the forms the same day, Shibuda, who becomes the first losing MP to decamp to the opposition, said.
He said he will run in the newly created Maswa West Constituency in Shinyanga Region instead of his old base. Shibudas defection came after he was trounced by Robert Simon Kesena in the race for the CCM ticket in his former constituency.
He was in the spotlight early this year when he declared he would oppose President Jakaya Kikwete in the race for the presidency on a CCM ticket. He withdrew, however, as the nomination dates approached and threw his weight behind Kikwete.
Mr Shibuda said he decided to contest for Maswa West seat via Chadema because the party has good plans regarding the countrys development. He said he wanted to finish what he had started for the people of Maswa.
No senior Chadema official was available yesterday to confirm Shibudas move but the partys deputy secretary general, Mr Zitto Kabwe, was quoted at the weekend as confirming there were talks regarding Shibudas move.
Another CCM official, Mr Thomas Nyimbo, who was omitted in favour of Gerson Lwenge, reportedly picked up parliamentary nomination forms yesterday to vie for the Njombe West seat via Chadema.
His personal assistant confirmed the reports over the telephone. Sorry he is in the district headquarters picking up the forms, she said.
As Shibuda announced his intention, other CCM members who were locked out of the race by the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) during its recent meeting in Dodoma declared they would stay put and try their luck next time.
Mr Fredrick Mwakalebela whose nomination was quashed in favour of Ms Monica Mbega, who is also the Kilimanjaro regional commissioner, in Iringa Town said he was satisfied with the partys top body decision.
I respect the decision made by the NEC and believe it has valid reasons to do so, he said. Mr Athuman Larome who won the Moshi Urban preferential polls, but had his victory rescinded in favour of Justine Sarakana who came third, also said he would stick with CCM.
As a politician, you should learn how to give in Sometimes you must agree with what the partys hierarchy decides, Mr Larome said.
Meanwhile, the Chadema contestantant for Sumve Constituency, Mr Milton Rutabana, has been denied forms over failure to adhere to election rules.
Speaking to journalists in Kwimba District yesterday, the National Electoral Committee (NEC) official in charge of Kwimba and Sumve constituencies, Mr Kalala Suleiman, charged that Mr Rutabana had no official letter from his party introducing him as Chademas candidate for the constituency.
According to the election laws and regulations, any contestant who shows up at NEC offices to collect forms is required to have an introductory letter from his or her party. Mr Rutabana lacked such requirements and arrived with the list of referees instead, he said.
He said several aspirants in the constituency had already collected forms without any problem.
He named those who collected forms for Kwimba Constituency as Mr Shanif Mansoor (CCM), Bujiku Yusuph (UDP), Ligwa Ndalawah (CUF), as well as Leticia Nyerere, the wife of Madaraka Nyerere, the First Phase presidents eldest son. She is vying for the seat through a Chadema ticket.
Those who collected forms from NEC, for Sumve Constituency, yesterday are Mr Richard Ndasa (CCM) and Julius Samamba (CUF).
Source: The Citizen:
Mtazamo: CCM kazi wanayo mwaka huu!!!
