CUF accuses CCM of foul play in Mbeya election

CUF accuses CCM of foul play in Mbeya Rural race
By brandy nelson, mbeya from CItizen paper.

The Civic United Front has accused the ruling CCM of foul play, accusing it of including "ghost voters" in the Permanent Voters Register.

CUF deputy secretary-general Juma Duni Haji made the claim on Monday, shortly before launching the party's campaigns ahead of next month's parliamentary by-election in Mbeya Rural constituency.

Mr Haji said CCM was registering "phantom voters" as a strategy aimed at helping it win the election.

"This is just one of the many activities being undertaken by CCM to undermine us and ensure that it steals the election," the CUF official said at a news conference.

He said comfortable wins registered by CCM in past elections were the result of the ruling party incorporating non-existent voters in the register.

"CCM has been winning by big margins not because it has the support of the majority of the people in areas where elections take place, but because it has been employing illegal tactics."

He added, however, that CUF would not give CCM the opportunity to steal next month's election."CUF is aware of these dirty tricks and we shall see to it that CCM does not use them to rig the election."

Mr Haji also said CCM had been using state machinery to intimidate voters, particularly opposition supporters, in the run-up to elections.

He cited the deployment of anti-riot police on the excuse of containing electoral violence as one of CCM's "favourite" strategies.
Another is the buying of voter cards.

"This is done deliberately to steal votes from the opposition," he said
On antagonism among opposition parties, the CUF official said the opposition was united against CCM ahead of the by-election and the 2010 General Election.

He said CUF was ready to support a candidate from any party as long as the decision was reached through a consensus.