Why CCM love to use media but scared with debate issue ? or Makamba is scared with Chadema chopper

The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has banned its parliamentary candidates throughout the country from participating in debates broadcast by the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).The move has been described by other political parties as stifling democracy.The debates are broadcast by the state-owned television station on Tuesdays.Reports reaching The Citizen yesterday indicate that the ban has been effected through a letter written by the CCM secretary general, Mr Yusuf Makamba, to district and regional CCM secretaries.

“I have written you to inform you that our parliamentary candidates should not participate in the debates until further notice,” said part of the letter copied to the TBC executive director, Mr Tido Mhando, who was not available for comment yesterday.

The ban has come at a time when some of CCM parliamentary candidates have already participated in such debates which bring together candidates from various political parties in their respective constituencies.

CCM parliamentary candidates who have already participated in the debates are Hawa Ng’umbi who is contesting for the Ubungo constituency in Dar es Salaam and Chrispin Meela who is vying for the Vunjo constituency in Kilimanjaro region.

“The programme on debates for the first time brought together candidates for the Ubungo constituency and a CCM candidate participated without getting a go-ahead from her party,” writes Mr Makamba in the letter seen by The Citizen.

The CCM secretary general added in the letter that he had no problem with the debates but he was concerned over the participation of CCM candidates.

During the debate, parliamentary candidates from various political parties are given less than five minutes to explain their party manifestos before they field questions from the participants.

When the programme was aired for the first time in the Ubungo constituency, CCM’s Ms Ng’umbi became emotional after a participant asked her tough question.

In his August 31 letter, Mr Makamba said he had no confidence with the TBC programme and wondered how the CCM parliamentary candidates had participated without permission from their party.

The letter with reference number CCM/OND/SG/194/9 said CCM parliamentary candidates will be allowed to participate in such debates when the governing ruling established benefits for participating in such debates.

He said CCM has its campaign system and it also knew how best to present its policies to the public.

“We have a good system of marketing our policies to people such as indoor meetings and campaign rallies. This system is still valid and we are continuing to embrace it,” said Makamba in his letter.

Reached for comment yesterday, Makamba insisted: “We don’t want to participate in such debates. We will continue using campaign rallies. We don’t see the relevance of squeezing in a small room where a few people participate.”

He added: “It doesn’t make sense to participate in such debates while our campaign rallies are ideal.”

Asked whether CCM parliamentary candidates who have participated in the debates will be penalised, he said they will not be punished because they participated in the debates before the party had issued the ban.

Meanwhile, CCM in Karatu district, Arusha region, forced TBC to postpone airing the parliamentary candidates debate after a candidate from the ruling party refused to take part.

The debate was slated for Monday at the Karatu district community centre but it was later cancelled after the CCM candidate for the Karatu constituency, Dr Wilbard Lorry, had said he could not participate.

The Karatu district CUF secretary, Mr Stephen Siay said CCM’s move to pull out of the debate at the last minute amounted to political immaturity.

He said CUF parliamentary candidates postponed their campaign trail in rural areas so that they could have participated in the debate.

The Chadema chairman for Karatu district, Mr Moshi Darabe, said they received information at last minutes that the CCM candidate was not going to participate in the debate.

He said the postponement of the debate was communicated to his party through the office of the Karatu district executive director.

However, the Karatu district executive director, Mr Clemence Begere, distanced himself saying his office has nothing to do with TBC programmes.

In what could be seen as implementation of Makamba’s ban, on Monday the Arusha Urban CCM parliamentary candidate, Dr Batilda Burian, turned down an invitation by TBC to participate in the debate.

She said she did not participate in the Arusha debate because her party was not aware of such debate.

Dr Batilda denied reports that she had gone into hiding because she was not capable of participating in the debate. “I can’t hide myself because I have attended international debates abroad.”

Commenting on the CCM move, Chadema head of campaigns Prof Mwesiga Baregu blamed the ruling party accusing it of hindering growth of democracy in the country.

Prof Baregu said debates are very important platform to candidates and parties to compete among each other and sell their policies.

“CCM is still operating in a single party monopoly without understanding that the world has changed... but the public is changing according to the global trend,” said Prof Baregu noting that the act will cost CCM in the October polls.

He said stopping the candidates from the debate is denying the public a chance to evaluate and know better whom they will choose and avoid mob psychology.

The NCCR – Mageruzi director of organisation, election and campaigns, Mr Faustine Sungura said the move depicts fear by the ruling party because many of its candidates have no capacity to express and defend its manifesto.

He alleged that CCM is dodging debates because they have other shoddy ways of winning elections.

“Its very amazing and surprising for a serious party to stop its candidates in debates, its time for the public to shun CCM public rallies too,” said Mr Sungura.

APPT- Maendeleo Chairman Mr Peter Mziray said the ban shows how the ruling party refuse to be accountable to the voters.

“CCM leaders are weak and incompetent... they can not even defend their manifesto... they are bot able to face the voters,” he said.

The Civic United Front party (CUF) public relations officer Ms Ashura Mustapha said the debate ban shows how CCM candidates are not capable to defend their manifesto because it is not implementable.

Tanzania Labor Party (TLP) secretary general Hamad Thao said the act will cost CCM because the public is aware and can not be cheated so easily.