Chadema opts out of Eala seats race over stand

Dar es Salaam. Chadema’s decision to opt out of the contest for membership to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) has paved the way for other opposition parties to grab the opportunities with much ease.

With Chadema not participating in the race, it is now clear that aspirants from the ACT-Wazalendo and the Civic United Front (CUF) could easily carry the day during elections.

Tanzania’s representatives to the Eala will be known during parliamentary sessions that start next week in Dodoma.

Although it is not known as to how many slots will be allocated to the opposition, what is known so far is that aspirants from various political parties have picked forms to vie for the nine positions to be up for grabs in December 2022.

On Sunday, the ruling CCM began screening the 155 candidates who have shown interest to contest for the positions.

At the same time, the opposition ACT-Wazalendo has has nominated its secretary general Ado Shaibu and its deputy secretary responsible for Human Rights department Pavu Abdallah from Zanzibar as its flag bearers for the nine seats.

Meanwhile, CUF, which is one of the oldest opposition parties, has approved names of 12 of its members to contest the Eala seats.

Analysts privy to the topic say CCM could get six slots while the opposition could have up to three slots to fill in the Eala. Out of the number, four will have to come from Tanzania Mainland while the remaining two will be from Zanzibar.

But while other opposition parties were conducting their internal meetings to pick their flag bearers, Chadema secretary general John Mnyika said the party’s decision-making organs have not held any meeting associated with the Eala positions.

This, he said, was because the party still maintained its position of not recognising the outcomes of the 2020 general election.

“We will not take part in Eala elections. We maintain the need to expedite the process of rewriting a new constitution and that of getting an independent electoral commission,” he said.

He said the party also wants the government to work on the effects of the 2020 general election.

In September last year (2021), Chadema boycotted a by-election for Ushetu Parliamentary Seat in Shinyanga, saying it would not take part in any election until an independent electoral commission was enacted.

The party also boycotted a meeting that was called by the Registrar of Political Parties earlier this year.

The next Eala will be the largest in terms of members after the recent admission of DRC into the hitherto six-nation EAC.

There will be a total of 63 members; nine each from Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and the DRC.