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Monday, 26 March 2012 22:36
The Citizen Correspondent
Arumeru. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has started to gather documents and information showing massive irregularities in the ongoing Arumeru East by-election campaigns.Political analysts say it is a move by the ruling party to prepare grounds for a petition in case its candidate, Mr Sioi Sumari, is defeated in the April 1 polls.
Some of CCM cadres who are participating in the campaigns confided to The Citizen that the move has been prompted by an increase in misdeeds by members and leaders of the opposition Chadema, the main CCM challenger in the by-election.
The CCM secretary in Moshi Rural District, Mr Alan Kingazi, confirmed the move and said that a team constituted by the ruling party has already netted a number of sensitive documents.
He said among the documents was a list of voters whose voting cards have been illegally collected by people believed to be Chadema agents.
"There are some Chadema leaders who have been personally, or through their agents, going around Arumeru East collecting or sometimes buying voters' cards. They are targeting CCM supporters as a way of reducing support for our candidate," he said. Mr Kingazi showed our reporter a list of names purported to be of voters in Arumeru East who were compromised by Chadema agents.
Commenting on allegations that, in collaboration with CCM secretary in Manyara Region Ndengaso Ndekubali, he had hijacked and tortured Chadema cadre Nuru Maeda, Mr Kingazi said it was true that they had taken the Chadema leader for interrogation but did not torture him.He said they wanted to question the man as part of a follow-up on Chadema misdeeds in the by-election.
Mr Kingazi and Ndengaso were questioned at Usa River Police Station over allegations of abducting and torturing the Chadema cadre but they are currently out on bail.
Meanwhile, Chadema has refuted reports that their cadre was buying voters' cards. The Opposition party said in a statement that Mr Maeda was only verifying the cards using a permanent voters' register, adding that it was allowed by law.Meanwhile, CCM candidate Sioi Sumari yesterday capitalised on secondary schools built by the government in every ward to appeal to voters to elect him.
In his do-or-die campaigns in Manyata Village, Usa River Ward yesterday, CCM candidate Sioi Sumari said wananchi should vote for him so that he could continue with the established efforts to develop the constituency.
Mr Sioi mentioned the Manyata Primary School which has been constructed in the area through the Sullivan Summit which was organised by President Kikwete who is also the CCM national chairman. He said since the manifesto was implemented by CCM, wananchi should think of voting for him.
"I'm contesting through a party which has a clean record on development....you have seen examples of the good projects which have been implemented by CCM....we have a record here of electing presidents and members of parliament by 100 per cent of the votes… Please vote for me to maintain the record and send a message that this is our stronghold," Mr Sioi said.