NAMES OF CANDIDATES FOR CCM UNION ZANZIBAR HOUSES OUT SOON.

CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) will soon announce the names of its members whom it has endorsed for the race for Union and Zanzibar houses, the selection process for which started here yesterday evening.

Opening the meeting which brought together National Executive Committee (NEC) members, the ruling party’s National Chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete, said that the Central Committee (CC) and Ethics Committee have done their share in the screening process. "We have a very tough work.

But the CC and Ethics Committee have done a bigger part of the job. The work ahead of us is now simple," President Kikwete told the 374-member committee at the party's headquarters here.

He said that the number of cadres who have sought nomination is very big, indicating that many people were enthused and motivated to vie through the CCM ticket.

The meeting, which started yesterday and expected to run through today, would also come up with names of Special Seats MPs and candidates who are vying for membership of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.

CCM started its series of meetings for the purpose last Saturday as well as going through various complaints filed in connection with the flaws that marred the August 1 primaries.

On Tuesday, the CC directed five constituencies - Ukonga, Makete, Busega, Kilolo and Rufiji - to repeat preferential polls today after it was convinced that the previously held polls were engulfed with irregularities.

Yesterday's session, which was eagerly awaited, principally aimed at approving decisions reached at the previous meetings, which went through all complaints and results of the primaries.

A number of cadres who won the August 1 primaries had despite the win nothing to celebrate by yesterday as a section of them interviewed by the 'Daily News' pointed out that the top party organs have the mandate to disqualify them.

One of the cadres who won the polls, who is an incumbent MP and deputy minister, noted on condition of anonymity that some of the cadres could have their victory overturned due to their perceptible support to former premier Edward Lowassa who has recently defected to the opposition.

The organs - Ethics, CC and NEC – can, owing to their power, decide to prune out a winner and settle for someone who was second or even third, for various reasons.

Credit:DailyNewz