Chadema leaders retreat to reaffirm ‘No Reforms, No Election’ demand
Chadema Chairperson, Tundu Lissu, addresses journalists upon his first arrival at the party’s offices in Dar es Salaam after being elected leader. PHOTO | SAID KHAMIS
What you need to know:
- Lissu stressed that Chadema would not engage in traditional political practices and would instead push for urgent reforms akin to those seen in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia.
Dar es Salaam. Chadema leaders will today, Thursday, January 30, 2025, begin a week-long retreat to strategise for this year’s General Election, focusing on political reforms and adopting a more assertive approach to electoral changes..
Chadema leaders will today, Thursday, January 30, 2025, begin a week-long retreat to strategise for this year’s General Election, focusing on political reforms and adopting a more assertive approach to electoral changes.
He stressed that Chadema would not engage in traditional political practices and would instead push for urgent reforms akin to those seen in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia.
“Conventional politics involve asking for reforms; we’re looking at ways to push for them more forcefully,” Mr Lissu said during a press briefing at the party headquarters in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam.
He was accompanied by vice chairpersons, John Heche (Mainland) and Said Mzee (Zanzibar), along with Secretary General John Mnyika and Deputy Secretary General (Mainland) Amani Golugwa.
Lissu, who assumed the chairmanship after defeating Freeman Mbowe, reaffirmed Chadema’s slogan, “No reforms, No election,” criticising both the 2019 local government elections, where 36 percent of the party’s candidates were disqualified, and the 2020 general elections, which he described as unfair.
“We cannot go through elections like those of 2020 or 2024, where it’s clear that we’re being led to slaughterhouses,” Lissu asserted, pointing to the urgency of political reforms. Echoing Lissu, Mr Heche vowed that Chadema would not remain silent, even if it meant imprisonment.
“You can only be silent when you’re dead,” Heche remarked, adding that the party would take decisive action to demand electoral reforms.
While Lissu clarified that Chadema is not calling for an election boycott, the party will engage in discussions on how best to move forward. He questioned the fairness of previous elections.
Secretary General, Mnyika, revealed that the retreat would also focus on unifying the party.
“This year is about reforms and the chairman will lead us on this,” Mnyika said, noting that there would be no divisions within the party.
The retreat aims to define the party’s direction ahead of the election and foster greater unity within the ranks, with Mr Lissu urging members to focus on rebuilding the party and moving past intra-election conflicts.
Chadema is determined to stand firm in its call for reforms, with the leadership confident that the retreat will provide clarity on their approach in the run-up to the 2025 elections.
