Prime
Ali Karume summoned by two CCM committees
Ali Abeid Karume speaks at past event. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- At different times, the diplomat, who is the son of the first President of Zanzibar, Abeid Aman Karume, has been making blunt statements that the party lacked the legitimacy to lead the Isles,
Dar es Salaam. Two ethics committees of the ruling CCM in Zanzibar have summoned veteran politician and diplomat, Ali Abeid Karume, over series of his recent public remarks, which the party say have insulted the party and its leadership.
In one of the summons seen by The Citizen, the politician is to appear before the ethics committee at his constituency on Thursday, June 15 and later on Friday required to appear before a similar organ at the district level.
At different times, the diplomat, who is the son of the first President of Zanzibar, Abeid Aman Karume, has been making blunt statements that the party lacked the legitimacy to lead the Isles,
In one of the statements, Mr Karume alleged that factions within the ruling party CCM-Zanzibar were a result of how the party’s presidential candidate for the island was obtained, saying he was imposed on them by the then party chairman.
The statements have triggered debates inside and outside the party.
The CCM Mwera branch ethics committee was the first to summon the former cabinet minister for interrogation early this month.
Though Ali Karume has yet to confirm receipt of the letters, CCM-Zanzibar’s publicity secretary Khamis Mbeto Khamis confirmed that he had seen the letters, saying “it was normal process.”
"I have also seen those letters, but it is a common issue, and I remember that our member (Ambassador Karume) was first called to the ethics meeting at his branch," said Mbeto.
According to Mbeto, given the fact that Mr Karume does not hold any senior positions in the government or the party, the top organ to summon him will be the regional ethics committee.
He said such interrogations were normal within the party, and it is not the first time a party cadre has been summoned when the party deems it necessary.
According to him, it is the regional central committee that will propose the kind of punitive measures to be taken.
Mbeto said the punishments that can be meted out to a member after the questioning by ethics committees are a warning, a reprimand, or expulsion from the party, and this depends on the severity of the offense and how he defends himself.
"The ethics issue is normal; many leaders have been summoned before. I don't know who gave those letters, but those meetings will be held, and we just have to wait for them to sit down and recommend what should be done and what has happened," he said.
On June 4, the Vice Chairman of CCM-Zanzibar, President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, while speaking to members of the party in South Unguja, said sometimes people break the party’s code of conduct and nothing is done to wait for the elections.
"That is not the procedure; let's start now. Those who do that should be dealt with according to procedures, and that is why there are ethical committees; that is their job," he said.
While concluding his visit to the North Region Unguja Mahonda Office, President Mwinyi repeated his statement that those who break the ethics of the party must face disciplinary action. He ordered the ethics committee to take urgent disciplinary action instead of waiting until the election period.
"There are people who have become puppets of the opposition by misleading and giving inappropriate statements to members and citizens. If someone is not comfortable in the party, he should leave," said President Mwinyi.
