CHADEMA has lost credibility and public trust for accepting former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa who has incessantly been implicated in various corrupt practices, the opposition party’s former Secretary General, Dr Willibrod Slaa, charged in Dar es Salaam.
Addressing reporters after weeks of “going underground’’ , Dr Slaa alleged that the party for which he had spent a number of years to build has turned into a hideout for corrupt leaders and rejects from CCM.
The former priest and opposition politics doyen claimed that he had personally and several colleagues sacrificed for CHADEMA even by suffering physical attacks and having their blood spilled in “our crusade to denounce corruption and state misconduct’’.
Dr Slaa added that surprisingly, the very party that he had sacrificed a lot to build has made a U-turn and is now ‘cleansing an ill-mannered heavyweight’ and declaring him its Union presidential candidate.
In a nearly 120-minute televised speech, the former clergyman pointed out that he was not ready to be part of the race, which has drown members from the bloc they have vehemently been accusing of corruption.
One of the things, which positioned the party and earned it credibility, according to Dr Slaa, was being in the frontline to fight against dishonesty and unethical behaviour in public offices.
“By accepting Lowassa, who was included in our list of shame, it is apparent that we can’t walk the talk… we are now even worse than our competitor,” he said, adding that he was not ready to be part of the dirty deal.
Dr Slaa, who also announced to have withdrawn his membership with the party, uncovered the secret behind his ‘disappearance’ that had left behind a lot of speculation, revealing that he disagreed to agree with top CHADEMA leaders on Lowassa.
He told his audience that before allowing the former premier to join the party, under his capacity as SG, he wanted Mr Lowassa to among others, announce publicly that he is defecting from CCM and also cleanse himself before the public. “I wanted him to publicly announce that he has ditched CCM.
I also directed that before accepting him, he was supposed to come out and clean himself from corruption allegations levelled against him,” Dr Slaa stated, adding that to his surprise ‘his directives were not heeded to’.
He alleged that when Mr Lowassa was planning to join the party, he had promised that there were about 50 MPs, 22 regional chairpersons and 88 district chairpersons who were set to cross over with him.
“I told my fellow party leaders… you know I am always sincere; before welcoming him we have to see if he is an asset or a liability,” the former Karatu MP noted, adding that he also wanted Mr Lowassa to name all CCM cadres who would have defected with him.
According to him, he never received list of prominent CCM cadres who would have defected to Chadema with Lowassa. Dr Slaa went on saying that after learning that his party had started to go off the track, he decided to leave, adding that he was not ready to see what he stood up for being changed for individual interests.
He cautioned the public to be able to distinguish between matters of national interests and those falling under individual interest.
“National interest must be measured by objective criteria and not just by empty words… these people are indoctrinating propaganda only to sway the public, they are kind of leaders that if given power will only drive this country to a wrong destination,” he expounded.
Dr Slaa said that to people who are prejudiced would think that he was out to attack CHADEMA, but the fact was that ‘truth is only one and indivisible.’
He also termed as malicious, misleading and cheap politics, remarks made by the party’s National Chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, to the effect that he was on short leave and would later join the party.
“I stood firm from the first minute, when they fail to agree with me, I quit… being two-faced is very dangerous, electing such people is even more dangerous,” he pointed out, asking voters to be extra careful when electing their leaders.
Dr Slaa also poked fun at clerics who have reportedly been bribed to support Mr Lowassa in his aspiration to become Union president, saying it was high time they knelt down and pray.
He strongly condemned what he alleged as “frequent remarks by CHADEMA that they were even ready to team up with Satan to drive out CCM, insisting that the ruling party cannot be overpowered without a serious programme and a serious people.
The former CHADEMA leader told the gathering that he had resigned from his post as SG since “the very first day we disagreed in the Central Committee meeting’’, adding that he has officially and effectively resigned from CHADEMA and active politics.
Source: Daily News
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