Tundu Lissu outlines his vision after being elected national chairman for Chadema

Dar es Salaam. Tundu Lissu has officially assumed his new role as the national chairman of Tanzania’s opposition party Chadema, with a pledge to rebuild and strengthen the party while ensuring justice and fairness in its internal processes.

Delivering his inaugural speech in the city on Wednesday, Lissu said he would address the challenges that have emerged from the party’s internal elections.

Acknowledging the wounds left by previous electoral processes, he stressed the need for healing and reconciliation among party members.

“There may be surprises or not, but we have hit the ground running. We will be submitting the name of the party’s Secretary-General today at 3 PM,” Lissu stated. “From tomorrow and in the days ahead, we will focus on rebuilding our party.”

Healing the wounds

Lissu admitted that past elections had left deep scars within the party, not just from recent events but from years of internal political struggles.

“Our people have suffered a lot in these elections from the very beginning. We need to heal them and give them new hope that their pain was not in vain,” he said.

He pledged to reach out to those who had been sidelined or wronged during the electoral processes, including those who faced injustices within Chadema.

“We need to tell them that mistakes were made and ask for their forgiveness. More importantly, we must ensure that the irregularities that caused so much pain in our internal elections never happen again,” he said.

Lissu said the party would address the grievances of those who were unfairly removed from the election process. “Some have filed appeals, and we will review them. If they have merit, we will reinstate them and redo the elections. Everyone who has the right to contest in Chadema must be given a fair chance,” he stated.

He also hinted at possible postponements in ongoing internal elections to ensure fairness. “We cannot demand justice from CCM [the ruling party] if we do not practice justice within Chadema itself. We must first remove the log from our own eye before pointing out the speck in another’s,” he remarked.

Fair representation for women

In his reform agenda, Lissu seeks to ensure that female party members have equal and fair opportunities to contest various leadership positions.

He proposed limiting the number of terms for special seats to provide more women with legislative experience and financial empowerment.

“The best way to ensure fair chances is to put a cap on special seats. This will increase the number of women gaining experience in parliamentary affairs and financial stability,” Lissu said.

He assured that necessary constitutional and regulatory amendments would be introduced to implement these changes.

Term limits and financial transparency

Lissu reaffirmed his commitment to introducing term limits for party leadership to ensure continuity while preventing political monopolies. “I do not want to be told in the future that I have stayed in this position for too long. Term limits will start with me,” he declared.

He further pledged to address financial management within the party, ensuring transparency in fundraising, allocation, and expenditure.

“Funds must be directed where our members are. Work that can be done at the constituency level will be carried out there by our officers and leaders,” he said.

Pushing for electoral and constitutional reforms

Beyond internal party reforms, Lissu reaffirmed Chadema’s commitment to advocating for a new constitution and an independent electoral system.

He declared that the party would not participate in any future elections unless meaningful reforms were achieved.

“We will not engage in elections unless they are conducted in a free and fair manner. No reform, no election,” he emphasised.

He ruled out participating in further negotiations with the government, expressing skepticism over their effectiveness.

“We are not going for those talks. We will only engage in elections if we are convinced that they are credible,” he declared.

Taking on CCM and the Samia administration

Lissu signalled an aggressive stance against the ruling CCM party and the government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. He asserted that Chadema would confront what he described as an oppressive system and push for democratic reforms.

“We are facing CCM head-on. We are taking on Samia’s administration. We will fight for reforms, and I will not be speaking with a double tongue. We are moving forward with clarity,” he asserted.