WITH the countdown to the general election approaching the big day, there has come a dramatic turn of events.
The National Chairman of the opposition Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Mr Augustino Mrema, and former Chadema Secretary General, Dr Wilbroad Slaa, have campaigned for Union presidential candidate through CCM, Dr John Magufuli, asking Tanzanians to endorse him for the highest office.
Dr Slaa has hailed Dr Magufuli, noting that his integrity, hard work and transparency were among factors that placed him ahead of other presidential flag bearers. At a local TV programme, Dr Slaa said Dr Magufuli was the candidate worth electing because his standpoint on corruption was crystal clear unlike other scandal tainted aspirants who can’t point fingers at corrupt practices.
He affirmed that his former party, which previously positioned itself by condemning corruption, has lost credibility as it had turned into a hideout for unethical and corrupt politicians. In a rare happening of events yesterday, the outgoing MP for Vunjo, who is seeking re-election, Mr Mrema, hailed Dr Magufuli for “his outstanding work as Works Minister’’.
The two met at Himo Njia Panda in Kilimanjaro Region where Mr Mrema was having a campaign rally and Dr Magufuli was on his way from Himo to Mwanga where he was to conduct meetings.
“Dr Magufuli is the right candidate for the presidency; he has done a good work in my constituency and Tanzania as a whole,” Mr Mrema said amid cheers from the crowd. This came as a surprise given the fact that TLP has its own presidential candidate, Mr Maximillian Lyimo.
Earlier at Himo Township, Dr Magufuli told a political rally that if Mrema fails to sail through the race he would still appoint him in another position, given his impressive performance when he worked as a minister and legislator.
Mr Mrema was a cabinet minister during the Second Phase Government but he defected to opposition and unsuccessfully ran for presidency during the first multi-party elections in 1995 and five years later in 2000 when he lost to Mr Benjamin Mkapa of CCM.
At Himo, Dr Magufuli shocked the audience when he told them that if they were not impressed by the CCM candidate in the constituency, Mr Innocent Shirima, then they should vote for the outgoing lawmaker.
The presidential candidate continued with his road-to-road campaign yesterday where he conducted rallies at Tarakea in Rombo Constituency, Himo in Vunjo, Mwanga, Ndungu in Same East Constituency, concluding the blitz at Same West.
In Same East, he pledged to support theoutgoing MP Anne Kilango Malecela to revamp the ailing ginger manufacturing factory in the constituency. He said if elected to power, he will ensure that the road connecting Ndungu and Same is paved to tarmac level to solve transport hurdles currently faced by residents in the area.
In a meeting earlier at Tarakea in Rombo District, Dr Magufuli assured the residents that he would address water woes and improve cross-border trade between Tanzania and Kenya as a measure of unlocking business opportunities in the East African Community (EAC).
“I will make sure that there is a water reservoir to supply water; it does not make sense for this area to lack the precious liquid and yet it is on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro,” he remarked.
At rallies held in Mwanga and Same, he was told of harassment by game warders in Mkomazi National Park, which he pledged to address if is voted into power. During the campaign trail, he made a stop at Chekereni Market where he told traders that his government will scrap nuisance levies imposed on them by district authorities.
Meanwhile, CCM Union presidential running mate, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, pledged the construction of a vocational education training centre in the first term should Dr Magufuli be voted to the top office.
Addressing a public rally at Ngudu area here yesterday, Ms Samia said she will ensure the training centre is being built during the first term. “ I understand the need for a vocational training centre here as it will impart youth with the needed skills to take a number of entrepreneurship projects and thus tame unemployment”, said Ms Samia.
Moreover, she has assigned herself a special task for the construction of dormitories for girls in high schools, especially those in remote areas. “That will be among my top agenda because many girls cut their dreams short due to challenges they facing while on their way to school”, she said.
The constituency’s parliamentary candidate, Mr Mansoor Hirani, told the presidential running mate that they have recorded tremendous success in electricity connection, attracting financial services and construction of water wells.
On his priorities for 2015- 2020, Mr Hirani said he will deal with water supply, electricity connection in four wards, education and health and roads construction.
Culled from Daily News
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