Nchimbi, 8 other CCM members collect speaker forms
Tanzania's Parliament house in Dodoma
What you need to know:
Among those who collected the forms was former Speaker Samuel Sitta. He was the first CCM member to declare his intention to run for the seat.
Dar es Salaam. Nine CCM members yesterday collected nomination forms for the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly after the ruling party kick-started the process to pick its candidate.
Among these was former Speaker Samuel Sitta. He was the first CCM member to declare his intention to run for the seat.
Issuance of forms started at around noon and by the end of yesterday's business day, nine CCM cadres had collected the documents from the party’s sub-office in Dar es Salaam.
According to CCM Organisation Secretary Muhammad Seif Khatib, all nine members who picked up the forms yesterday are not among the newly elected or nominated Members of Parliament.
Mr Khatib said the nine cadres will have until today 4pm to fill and return the forms to his office.
Other high profile politicians who collected the forms include, former Home Affairs minister Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi and Tanzania’s ambassador to Germany Philip Marmo.
The list also includes immediate former Karagwe MP Gosbert Blandes, Mr George Nangale, Mr Leanus Mulenda and Mr Simon Rubungu. Others are Dr Muzammil Kalokola and Mr Banda Sonoko, both of who launched unsuccessful CCM presidential bids.
According to Mr Khatib, aspirants who are not Members of Parliament have only till today to return the forms to the party’s Lumumba sub-office. Aspirants who are MPs have till November 14 to return the forms.
Mr Khatib said the law stipulates that names of candidates who aren’t MPs are supposed to be submitted to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) five days before the election of the Speaker so that NEC can satisfy itself that the applicants meet the qualification of becoming members of the august House.
If he is nominated by CCM and goes on to triumph in the election scheduled for next Tuesday, Mr Sitta, who is among the front runners, will lead the National Assembly for a second five-year term.
He served as the National Assembly Speaker between 2005 and 2010 before he was defeated by Ms Anne Makinda during the CCM nomination in 2010.
Sources close to Ms Makinda had it that the veteran politician is still interested to run for the seat.
For his part, Mr Philip Marmo, who served as the Mbulu Member of Parliament from 1985 to 2010 when he was defeated by an opposition candidate, also served in various ministerial posts which include as government Chief Whip between 2005 and 2010.
Dr Nchimbi, who was ousted from his position as Home Affairs minister after the controversial anti-poaching campaign dubbed Operesheni Tokomeza went haywire.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT- Wazalendo) declared their intention not to field a candidate for Speaker or Deputy Speaker’s seat.
According to the party’s secretary-general, Mr Samson Mwigamba, the party will not back any camp in the race for the two seats.
He said the party which has only one MP – Mr Zitto Kabwe – will only support the camp which will be defending issues of public interest.
President Magufuli has summoned the National Assembly for a session on November 17, the day when all the newly elected MPs will elect the Speaker.
The President is also expected to name the Prime Minister on November 19. The Assembly will then proceed to endorse the choice of the man who will be the leader of government business in Parliament.
National Electoral Commission Director of Elections Kailima Ramadhani said in a statement yesterday that the parliamentary and civic elections would be held between November 15 and December 20.
