Opposition gained huge margins against CCM in local government elections

Bongo Today/ December 16, 2014

Opposition gained huge margins against CCM in local government elections.
Local government election results across the country show that opposition parties gained huge margins against CCM in Sunday’s local government elections.

The ruling party maintained its lead in rural areas but was toppled in many urban and semi-urban areas by a significant surge by Chadema, Civic United Front, NCCR-Mageuzi and the new emerging party ACT .    

Opposition leaders were quick to welcome the strides that their respective parties made in the exercise that was however marred by irregularities and chaos in many areas.

Due to the hitches including delays in delivering material and a mix up of names, there no voting at all in some areas and that will take place next Sunday.  

 Yesterday, the government admitted the elections were flawed in at least 13 regions and blamed the hiatus on district councils’ officials.

Regional Administration and Local Government minister Hawa Ghasia told a press conference in Dar es Salaam that an investigation had been ordered to establish why there were such omissions.

“The ministry will go through the presented reports in order to identify those involved in causing the flaws so that appropriate action is taken.”

“We can sack them while others will be demoted, relieved of some duties and their salaries cut among the penalties,” Ms Ghasia said in a packed press briefing.


Flanked by her permanent secretary,  Mr Jumanne Sagini, the minister said despite the reported irregularities, voting went on smoothly in all other regions and thanked officials there for a good job.

She named the troubled regions as Dar es Salaam, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Kigoma, Morogoro, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Mwanza, Tabora, Tanga, Mara, Rukwa and Coast.

The minister said she has directed all regions to submit reports explaining what had transpired in their areas. She said the common problem had been delayed delivery of materials and a mix up of names, including in papers printed at the government printer in Dar es Salaam. “Failing to supervise the elections and causing flaws is a big mistake and serious actions will be taken against those implicated.”

Ms Ghasia said in areas where the civic polls were not conducted, the exercise will be repeated within seven days as per civic polls regulations.

Mr Sagini revealed Sh20 billion had been used to prepare for the elections. He said the ministry had contemplated using the National Electoral Commission but lack of a voters register for that level and preparations for the referendum and the 2015 General Election had made it impossible.

He said, however, that NEC would take over the role come 2019. Yesterday, the chief government printer, Mr Cassian Chibogoyo said he had not been made aware of the mix up being blamed on his office.

Results continued to trickle in yesterday, showing CCM dominance in rural areas was largely intact but the opposition was making inroads in areas where the ruling party was in leadership.

Arusha

Chadema garnered 75 neighbourhoods closely followed by CCM with 73 of them. Chadema won in barely seven neighbourhoods during the 2009 civic polls.

Mtwara

In Mtwara Mikindani district, CCM won in 58 streets while the oppositions won in 53 streets.  In Mtwara Rural, CCM won in 136 villages while the oppositions triumphed in 61 villages.
The ruling CCM won 102 villages in Tandahimba districts while the oppositions won in 38 villages.
In Newala district CCM won in 102 villages while the oppositions won in 38 villages. In Masasi district CCM won in 171 villages while won in 12 villages.
CCM won in 70 villages in Nanyumbu district while the oppositions triumphed in 12 districts.


Njombe

In Njombe district council, CCM won in 54 villages while the opposition won in 28 villages. In Njombe rural, CCM won in 94 villages while the oppositions won in 7 villages.
In Ludewa district, CCM won in 64 villages while the oppositions won in 9 villages. In Wanging’ombe District, CCM won in 94 villages while the opposition seven villages.

Shinyanga

In Shinyanga Municipality, opposition won in 29 streets and CCM in 26 streets.
In Shinyanga urban, CCM won in 65 streets and oppositions won in 18 streets. In Kahama District, the opposition took 18 streets while CCM managed 14 streets.
In Nyamagana District in Mwanza region, CCM emerged a victory over other parties by winning in 96 streets while Chadema won in 70 streets and CUF took power in 7 streets.

Tanga

In Tanga Urban District, CCM won 118 streets followed by CUF which won 60 streets and Chadema only two streets.  However, the elections will be repeated in eight streets following irregularities.
In Handeni District, the results shows that out of 91 villages, 88 went under CCM leadership while the remaining three had polls marred, leadikng to postponment.

Source: The Citizen