VIDEO: Lissu downplays cash crunch, exudes confidence

Dar es Salaam. Chadema presidential candidate Tundu Lissu yesterday expressed his confidence of winning the October 28 General Election despite financial crisis his party is facing.

Mr Lissu expressed his buoyancy during a press conference held at his home, saying a 10-day visit to party’s zones enabled him to understand citizen’s thirst for change of leadership. He said their turnout during his rallies was a significant indicator that Tanzanians were ready for changes, saying no advert was made in mainstream media and no transportation arrangement was made.

“Despite historic disqualification of our candidates, the remaining hopefuls are better positions of winning in their respective constituencies,” he told editors and reporters.

Mr Lissu, who doubles as party’s vice chairman (Mainland), thought it was difficult to defeat the incumbent president, the five years of turbulence to the opposition could worsen their struggles. However, he said they have managed to 244 parliamentary candidates out of 264 constituencies and 3,754 out of 3,955 councillorship aspirants which was a record.

“It wasn’t an easy thing to defeat CCM and it neither be easy this year. We have lodged Sh17 billion in the NEC documents, which is the maximum amount permitted. However, we are facing serious financial problems. We have even failed to prepare posters for the candidate,” he said.

He said they have turned their hope to citizen’s mobilisation of funds in order to take their struggles to the voting day. Further clarification on difficulties, he said the National Electoral Commission (NEC) executives, commissioners, supervisors and assistants were not independent.

“They are under pressure because the appointing authority is also the CCM candidate who once warned them not to declare winners from opposition candidates,” he said.

The former Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) president said they were aware that the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), the Tanzania Police Force and the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS) were not on their side.

“However, as we promised in the past, we will not accept theft of votes as we will stage countrywide mass protests against election rigging,” he observed.

Mr Lissu pledged to reform the country’s administrative system, improve gender representation in decision making organs and reduce the size of his cabinet.

as stated in the draft constitution by the defunct Constitution Review Commission (CRC) chaired by Judge (rtrd) Joseph Warioba.

According to him, CCM planned to amend the constitution in order to end term limits, kill the multiparty democracy system and restore state ownership of the economy.

“The Tanzania Shipping Agency Corporation (Tasac) now operates the Dar es Salaam Port instead of clearing and forwarding agents and the army implements construction projects instead of flourishing the private sector which are mere examples,” he said.

Chadema’s head of the legal department said the Judge Warioba draft constitution will provide his government with templates on intended reforms, hinting that his leadership will also amend the laws to allow dual citizenship.

The outspoken politician who today commences regional and constituency-wise campaigns said the move would benefit the country through remittances from Tanzanians living in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe.

He said India topples the beneficiaries, followed by Nigeria that receives $22 billion annually which is higher collections from oil and gas.