CCM will never ever die, Kikwete assures cadres

Dodoma. The outgoing national chairman of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and retired President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday said he was happy to step down from the party’s top post when CCM is still going strong and united.

Mr Kikwete said that there were people who believed CCM was going to be torn apart and they had “prepared to send their condolence messages.”

“They thought CCM was going to die, they thought they were going to have an upper hand; CCM is not going to die, it is strong it will continue to be strong, and they are not going to overtake us, never,” said Mr Kikwete.

The former President said that as he was opening the party’s Central Committee (CC) meeting at the party’s Head Offices. “This is my last  CC meeting as a chairman, I want to thank all you here for your support throughout my leadership, and we have managed to achieve all that we could from the hardwork and support that we showed each other … Okay, we’re here for just one agenda and that is nominating  the name of our President (Dr John Magufuli) to run for the chairmanship of our party,” he said shortly before he showed journalists the door.

After the CC, President Magufuli’s name will be presented to the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) for endorsement today, ahead of the party’s congress meeting slated for tomorrow when about 2,300 CCM members from across the country will vote. 

After the CC meeting, Mr Kikwete toured the party’s Convention Centre where the Congress meeting will be held and observed the last minute preparations.

Mr Kikwete’s comments on the party’s unity comes after a period of internal discords which prevailed during his chairmanship and hit a climax last year when the bigwigs’ tussle to succeed him, the battle which was won by a relatively outsider from the CCM Establishment, Dr Magufuli, who is set to be entrusted with the party’s top post.