What Chadema is not telling us
By Peter Nyanje and Vicent Mnyanyika
The underlying leadership conflict in Chadema is far from over, contrary to the impression being given by the opposition party's top officials and its elders' committee.
Though the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) leaders claim that the conflict has been resolved, last Monday's youth wing elections were marred by chaos, indicating that all is not well in the party, which has in the recent past appeared to be gaining popularity, judging from its impressive performance in by-elections.
The youth wing and elders' committee elections clearly showed that the rival groups supporting the national party chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, and his would-be challenger, Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe, were still sharply divided.
The two camps used the elections to flex their muscles despite the recent "cease-fire", which saw Mr Kabwe, the party's deputy secretary general, pull out of the race for the chairmanship in a reconciliation effort.
And speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Mr Kabwe said the public announcement that the rival groups had agreed to bury the hatchet was merely cosmetic.
"Though I have decided to let bygones be bygones, I know there are certain people allied to some leaders, who have been instigating and fuelling chaos," he said, when asked to comment on the shelving of the youth wing elections.
But Mr Kabwe could find himself in more trouble, as the party's Central Committee held an emergency meeting in Dar es Salaam to discuss, among other things, allegations that he had openly campaigned for some candidates and used money to entice the voters.
The Chadema secretary general, Dr Willbrod Slaa, threatened to call in the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) to investigate the allegations.
For his part, Mr Kabwe admitted to have campaigned for Mr David Kafulila for the youth wing leadership. But he said it was "after I noticed that his candidature was being sabotaged by some party leaders simply because he had supported my bid for the chairmanship."
The Kigoma North MP alleged the recruitment of non-bona fide members to ensure that Mr Kafulila was defeated.
"I campaigned for him openly and it's not against our party regulations to do so. Those saying that I bribed voters are the same people who have been fuelling conflicts in our party," Mr Kabwe said.
The election results, which have been withheld by the party, show that Mr Kafulila won the seat, beating Mr John Heche, who reportedly refused to concede defeat.
Yesterday, secretary general Slaa said: "I have received reports that money was being dished out openly. I will call in the PCCB and if they net the culprits, it will be upon them and not the party."
Dr Slaa said fresh elections would be held within the next six months once the investigations are completed.
But Mr Kabwe denounced the decision, saying it had flouted the party�s regulations. He said that according to party procedures, an election could only be suspended if a candidate challenged the results announced.
"As far as I know, the results have not yet been announced. On what grounds can the party suspend the elections? This calls for an explanation," he said.
Police were called on Monday night to quell fighting between the supporters of the two rival camps in Dar es Salaam.
But Dr Slaa denied there were such rival groupings in the party, saying the camps had been dissolved immediately Mr Kabwe withdrew his bid for the chairmanship.
"If there are still camps, then it's the decision of certain individuals to continue identifying themselves with such groupings. As far as I know there are no camps in Chadema now," said Dr Slaa.
He had been asked by journalists to comment on reports that the party's elders' committee was divided on the decision to persuade Mr Kabwe to give up his bid for the top seat.
Party founder Edwin Mtei, who led a group that persuaded Mr Kabwe not to vie for the chairmanship, said he had been surprised to hear of divisions even after it was announced that the two rival camps had been dissolved.
"If Zitto and Mbowe have reconciled, who are we to continue with these camps? Who is behind these camps if those who were their main pillars are now working together to strengthen the party?"Mr Mtei, a former Bank of Tanzania Governor, asked.
But the Chadema saga took a new twist when Mr Kabwe's mother, Ms Shida Salum, who is also the party's national chairperson for people with disability, accused party headquarters of victimising her son.
She told reporters that she was disappointed that instead of taking action against the real perpetrators of the election chaos, some leaders were accusing her son of sabotaging the party.
Ms Shida denounced dirty politics and those mudslinging her son.
"I know my son Zitto is not corrupt, and he cannot be bought by anybody. The party headquarters must be cleaned up. I have spoken to Dr Slaa on what is happening there. Please, clean up your office."
Reports that Mr Kabwe was seeking to unseat Mr Mbowe first surfaced, when the youthful politician was on a visit to Germany last week.
He later confirmed that he would be running for the chairman's position in the party's upcoming national elections, revealing that he had completed his candidacy forms at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar, before flying to Europe.
Mr Kabwe, who is an economist by training, said then that there was an urgent need to forge unity within the party ahead of next year's General Election.
The 2010 elections, he added, would be a watershed moment that would lead to a major political decision.
"My vision and reading of the situation is that we might this time be forced as a country to have a Prime Minister from outside the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi. We (Chadema) cannot afford to approach that possible scenario divided," he noted.
It was now time, he added, for new blood to take over the reins of leadership from where Mr Mbowe and his colleagues had reached "because there is a need to strengthen the party from within more than ever before."
However, Mr Mbowe welcomed Mr Kabwe's challenge as healthy competition within the opposition party.
He said Mr Kabwe was free to run against him for the chairmanship, saying it was not only an indication of political maturity, but also of how democratic Chadema was.
However, Mr Kabwe's later withdrew from the race, leaving Mr Mbowe as the sole candidate for the top post.
Mr Mbowe took over the party leadership from Mr Bob Makani. This was after the latter was elected the Hai MP in 2000. Mr Makani won 64.5 per cent of the vote, which was the highest in the constituencies taken by opposition candidates.
In 2005, Mr Mbowe was nominated as Chadema�s first ever-presidential candidate. He came third out of 10 candidates in the December 14, presidential election, winning 5.88 per cent of the vote.
Mr Kabwe�s political star has been on the rise since 2005, when he became the youngest elected MP, beating CCMs candidate in the Kigoma North constituency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmSuOIYths0
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