JK: We’ll spare none on graft

The Chairman of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), President Jakaya Kikwete said that any person - including a member of the party – suspected of corruption will be taken to task. Opening the party’s women wing (UWT) General Election Assembly, President Kikwete said that the ongoing drive to investigate those involved in various corruption scams would continue.

However, he admitted that the exercise was a difficult and fraught with complaints and blames, pledging that the investigations would be thorough in order to gather water-tight evidence. He urged the public to remain calm as relevant authorities build the cases.

President Kikwete reiterated that the government had its own mechanisms for carrying out such investigations, and that it cannot hurriedly or haphazardly arrest people without collecting sufficient evidence against them. He said any person listed in such scams would be investigated fairly, assuring that there were laws protecting such suspects, insisting that all lists of suspects were being worked on.

He said those found guilty would be dealt with – but added they were free to appeal anywhere if aggrieved. President Kikwete called on delegates of the assembly to elect competent, diligent and committed leaders, or they would regret their own choices for the next five years.

He insisted that they should not elect people on grounds of friendship or sponsorship, saying the two were not leadership criteria for UWT. Welcoming the president, the outgoing UWT chairperson, Ms Anna Abdalla said the election was characterized by dirty campaigns - especially after the conclusion of the polls at district and regional levels.

She asked the president to intervene in order to ensure that elections within the party were not dominated by such smear campaigns, which she said were creating divisions within the party. Ms Abdallah said there had been excessive use of money during the campaign and that such trend was discouraging other party members from contesting.

The out-going chairperson added that the campaigns were also characterized by threats, charging that some of the UWT regional and district chairpersons were at loggerheads with their secretaries due to dirty campaigns. The results of the election are expected to be announced today. The assembly was also attended by representatives of various political parties - CHADEMA), CUF and TLP.

By:
Martha Mtangoo
in Dodoma Daily News;
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 @21:15