Lissu makes a comeback in rallies

Dar es Salaam. Chadema said yesterday they were resuming presidential campaigns amid heightened police surveillance on its candidates, cadres, members and supporters.

The National Electoral Commission’s (NEC) Ethics Committee suspended party’s presidential candidate Tundu Lissu from campaigning for seven days that ended yesterday over ethics violations.

Mr Lissu, who doubles as party’s vice chairman (Mainland), will hold resumption campaign rallies today in Chamwino, Ikungi and Manyoni districts in Dodoma and Singida regions.

The fifth phase schedule released by NEC shows that the opposition candidate will tomorrow hold campaign rallies in Mkalama and Singida and then in Igunga, Nzega and Kahama in Tabora and Shinyanga regions respectively.

The former Singida East MP and Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) president will hold other rallies in Geita, Mwanza, Mara, Simiyu and later turn back in Tabora, Singida and Dodoma regions.

Chadema’s chief election whip Aman Golugwa told The Citizen yesterday that preparations for resumptions were in good shape, observing that they will take precautions over police’s escalated use of force against party’s candidates, cadres, members and supporters.

“We will speak the truth as reflected on the ground as we have been doing including unveiling tricks and plots to sabotage this year’s General Election regardless of implicated person,” he said.

He said reports from Arusha made it that the office belonged to party’s parliamentary candidate for Arusha Urban Constituency; Mr Godbless Lema was stormed by police allegedly for hosting illegal immigrants and cybercrime targeting banks.

Mr Golugwa said a similar incident was carried against another parliamentary candidate in Mara Region, Mr John Heche.

“All of us witnessed what the Hai Officer Commanding District (OCD) did to party’s parliamentary candidate who doubles as national chairman Freeman Mbowe,” he said.

A video clip that went viral on social media recently, shows Mr Mbowe’s convoy that was heading to a campaign rally being blocked by a police vehicle carrying the OCD and other officers. In the exchange of words, the OCD was quoted as telling Mr Mbowe that he would not win in the October 28 elections.

Furthermore, Mr Golugwa said party’s parliamentary candidate for Kahama Urban Constituency was alleged to have destroy placards belonging to other candidates.

“These are part of notable incidents that will be told to citizens during our campaigns. We are coming back with renewed vigour. We will not tolerate tricks, plots and antics that aim to sabotage this year’s elections,” he said.

He reiterated party’s concern that Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, Regional Commissioners (RCs), District Commissioners (DCs) and other government executives who used public resources in the CCM campaigns violated ethics regulations.

According to him, such executives - including the Premier - have been giving various promises, contrary to electoral regulations.

“We will strongly address this irregularity and failure to implement CCM’s own enacted laws. Mr Majaliwa is merely party’s Ruangwa Constituency parliamentary candidate who is restricted by election regulations to use public resources and issue pledges under the premiership status,” he said.

Regarding, Mr Lissu’s tour in southern regions, Mr Golugwa said campaign schedules in the regions were disrupted by rallies suspension, noting that Ruvuma, Lindi and Mtwara regions would be reached in the last phase.

Efforts to reach Inspector General of Police (IGP) Simon Sirro and police’s spokesperson David Misime proved futile yesterday.