CCM national Chairman Jakaya Kikwete
CCM national Chairman
Jakaya Kikwete has appealed to the partys National Executive Committee to endorse decisions of the Central Committee which saw some of its members and the partys secretariat resigning their positions.
Opening the NEC meeting here yesterday, Kikwete said in a brief speech that the party had no choice but to make deliberate decisions on key and sensitive matters on the political situation in the country and increasing competition among political parties.
Former secretary for ideology and publicity, John Chiligati said the Central Committee (CC) members who resigned were those from secretariat adding: The CC members who are not from the secretariat are responsible to the bodies which elected them, such as the Womens wing (UWT) Youth wing (UVCCM), Parents wing as well as partys General Assembly, which also elect the Chairperson.
The members of secretariat who resigned on Saturday are the Secretary General Yusuf Makamba, two deputy secretaries George Mkuchika (Mainland) and Saleh Ramadhan Feruz (
Zanzibar), the secretary for economy and finance, Amos Makala, Ideology and publicity Chiligati, director of foreign affairs Benard Membe, and director of planning Kidawa Saleh.
However, according to Mkuchika the big shakeup within the party was a result of high level of corruption and poor management leading to unprecedented low performance during last years General Election.
It is evident that accusations against the Secretariat and other people have been increasing especially after the general election, so we have to bring in a new team to take us to another level said Mkuchika, who also serves as a cabinet Minister for Regional Administration and Local Governments Authorities.
The resignations have come barely 18 months to the Partys elections, but Mkuchika was confident that the Party would get suitable persons to fill the vacant posts created by the resignations, arguing that CCM had many qualified members to run the Secretariat.
He also confirmed that in a move to improve the secretariat, the Partys Central Committee had decided that all its positions become full time jobs, to allow its members supervise party duties and implementation of various decisions of superior bodies closely.
Mkuchika maintained that the party had realised that it was facing a stiff challenge from the opposition side, a situation it had never experienced before.
We are in a new era. The political situation has changed a lot and we had to make key decisions so as to surmount the increased challenge. We had to do this now, otherwise we will be in big trouble, he noted.
Although he did not mention any party, Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) has been the most conspicuous political challenger to the ruling party.
Though CCM managed to win 186 constituencies and Chadema only 23 last October, the latter triumphed in major and strategic urban areas such as
Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, Iringa, Ubungo and Kawe, also taking control of the district, town and city councils.