Chadema EALA saga rages on
As main opposition party Chadema contemplates legal redress after its candidates lost in the polls for East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) last Tuesday, political analysts have pointed an accusing finger at the party for blundering in fielding its candidates.
“The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) had six slots but fielded twelve contenders why would Chadema pick only two applicants for its two allocated slots? “It is obvious that they (Chadema) just wanted their candidates to be endorsed by Parliament as opposed to being elected in a democratic process,” a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Bashiru Ally, told this paper.
Dr Ally warned that fronting an intact number of contenders for the EALA slots by Chadema was undemocratic and unhealthy for the opposition party and the country as a whole.
“The candidates ought to be subjected to voter scrutiny; days for fielding an intact number of applicants to have them elected unopposed are over,” the don maintained. The views by Dr Ally were shared in a separate interview by political analyst and lecturer at UDSM, Dr Benson Bana, who was of the view that the party was ill-advised to front two contenders.
“The laws and regulations are clear, representatives to the regional assembly are elected not appointed; Chadema should have known this better. Chadema touts itself as a party of democracy and development; it should have been the champion of fairness by fielding women candidates to strike gender balance,” Dr Bana told ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview.
The don expressed concerns that the party had wanted to impose its candidates for endorsement rather than letting the august House elect the members through a democratic process. Meanwhile, after it flopped in the ballot box on Tuesday, the party threatened to challenge the elections in court, claiming that rules and regulations were violated.
The race for the East African Legislative Assembly was concluded after midnight Tuesday with seven members, instead of nine, elected to represent the country at regional assembly. The new envoys included six members from ruling party, CCM, and one from opposition party, CUF. The country’s biggest opposition party, Chadema, floundered after its two candidates contesting for the party’s allotted seats, Lawrence Masha and Ezekia Wenje lost.
Results announced by Returning Officer, Dr Thomas Kashilila, showed that former Home Affairs Minister, Masha polled 126 aye votes against 198 nay votes, while ex-Nyamagana legislator, Wenje obtained 124 aye votes against 174 nays.
Speaking after the results were out, Chadema Chairperson, Mr Freeman Mbowe, whose bid to have the party’s two nominees sail through unopposed failed, could not hold back his bitter feelings towards those who voted against the party’s flag-bearers.
Using profanity, Mbowe, who also presides as Leader of Opposition camp in the Parliament, pointed an accusing finger at the ruling party, CCM members, alleging that they mischievously voted down their candidates during the elections.
The vividly aggrieved Mbowe said his party said will seek justice from the court on claims that the election was not fair, arguing the rules and regulations governing the EALA elections were violated.
“Chadema will seek justice elsewhere, today, as a country we’re expecting to get our representatives and conclude this election, but with these results and this breach of election regulations, we’ll go to court, we’ll seek our justice elsewhere.
“It’s a shame to the nation... that one party attempts to find and endorse another opposition party’s candidate, this is impossible and unacceptable,” accused Mbowe, who also alleged that there was breach of parliamentary rules.
“For us this is just part of democratic process, and we’ll keep fighting for our justice. The two slots for EALA legislators belong to Chadema, whether they like it or not. We’ll sit down and discuss it,” the Chadema leader said, adding that the two candidates have all the qualities.
“We picked up two best candidates, who are very competent but they voted against them. We’ll bring back two candidates and who knows! We can decide to bring back same candidates and let them reject them again. They have no right to choose who should represent us at EALA,” charged Mbowe.
But, Chadema have themselves to blame after ill-advisedly fronting only two candidates to contest for the party’s two allotted slots, a move that ostensibly backfired, especially after the House ruled out that the votes for Chadema’s duo had to be subjected to Aye and Nay votes – parliament-speak for affirmative and negative votes.
Speaker, Job Ndugai and Parliamentary Clerk, Dr Thomas Kashilila had a torrid time as they were often compelled to clarify to lawmakers provisions of the East African Legislative Assembly Elections Act, 2011, as well as translate the various regulations governing the election of Tanzania representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).