Igunga. The campaigns for the by-election in Igunga took a new twist over the weekend following the arrest of Chadema leaders and CCM’s decision to reinforce its campaign team.Meanwhile, the Civic United Front (CUF) has accused CCM of engaging in a dubious scheme by registering voters’ cards, which is against the laws.The Chadema MPs, who were arrested here on Friday for allegedly roughing up the area’s district commissioner, have been shifted to Tabora amid heightening tension in Igunga town.
Information obtained here yesterday noted that the two MPs are to be arraigned before the resident Magistrate’s Court in Tabora today, allegedly for insulting the Igunga DC, Ms Fatma Kimario.
On Friday the two MPs, Mr Sylivester Kasumbulia (Maswa East) and Suzan Kiwanga (Special Seats), were arrested, questioned and released on bail but later in the evening, they were rearrested and denied bail.
Chadema’s Justice, Constitution and Human Rights director, Mt Tundu Lissu (Singida East), condemned the police move to detain the two lawmakers and shift them to Tabora while their alleged crime was committed in Igunga District.
“If the police think they can assist CCM through intimidation of opposition politicians, they should learn from their counterparts in Kenya. Yesterday, when they heard that I’m in Igunga, the police got scared and decided to shift our MPs to Tabora where they won’t access legal aid,” he said.
But he said that he would be in Tabora today to hear the case when the MPs are arraigned. He said he would make sure that the two are bailed as they have not committed any offence anyway.
He claimed that what was happening to the Chadema leaders was not unprecedented. He charged: “Even nationalists like Mwalimu Julius Nyerere were persecuted when demanding independence from colonialists.”
He blamed the DC for interrupting Chadema rally, noting that she should not have been at the place where the alleged attack on her took place.
An official from the police headquarters, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Issaya Mungulu, confirmed yesterday that the Chadema suspects have been shifted to Tabora.
He said it was decided to transfer the two MPs on security grounds: “This (Igunga) is not the place to charge them. It is part of our procedures… we are going to sue them at the Tabora Resident Magistrate’s Court.”
Meanwhile, CUF has accused CCM of acting against the regulations by registering voter’s cards with their ten cell leaders.
The accusations, which have been denied by coordinator of the CCM campaigns, Mr Mwigulu Nchemba, were levelled by the CUF candidate in the Igunga poll, Mr Leopold Mahona.
Addressing a rally at Imalilo village in Nguru ward, Mr Mahona asked the residents in the area to refuse having their voter cards registered by CCM leaders.
“This will deny you opportunity to vote for leader of your choice,” he said.
Mr Mahona’s statement come only days after the CUF national chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, warned Igunga residents to be on the watch over what he alleged were CCM ploys aimed at winning the by-election by hook or crook.
"If someone comes to ask for your voter card don’t give it to him… even if they threaten you, don’t produce it as there is no law which compels you to give your voter card to anyone,” he said.
An independent survey by The Citizen established that some youth have been going around recording details of voters.When asked, a young man who declined to divulge his name said he was under instructions issued by his superior to take particulars of voters.
A woman, Ms Chiristina Kaloli, a resident of Iborogero Village allowed to have her details recorded said she was amazed of the move, but hastened to declare: “This is our harvest time.”But Mr Nchemba denied the accusation that CCM has hired youths to record voter’s particulars.
"The other parties are engaging in a losing battle. CCM commands the highest number of members in Igunga; if we withdrew their cards, it’s our party that would suffer,” he said.
In the meantime, CCM has reinforced its campaign team in Igunga and it is now conducting more than 40 rallies daily.Earlier, CCM had only two campaign teams, which were conducting an average of eight rallies daily. Effective yesterday, however, these teams were divided into small 12 groups, each led by a national leader and each has been tasked to conduct four rallies daily.
Some of CCM’s top national cadres who are here include secretary general Wilson Mukama, deputy secretary general (Zanzibar) Mr Vuai Ali Vuai, former secretary general, Mr Philip Mangulla.
Leaders from party wings are also in the campaign teams. They include the UVCCM secretary, Mr Martin Shigella, Ms Amina Makilagi from the Women Wing and Hamis Dad from parents wing.
Others are Mr Nchemba, who coordinates the campaigns, Ms Asha Abdalah Juma and Shaibu Akwilombe, the CCM secretary in Ilemela District. There are also Mtera MP, Mtera, Livingstone Lusinde among others.
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