Tanzania's ruling party (CCM) wins local polls

DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzania's ruling party mustered a whopping 93.7 percent of the vote in local elections and predicted Tuesday it would win next year's general elections by a landslide.

According to official results released Tuesday for the October 25 "civic elections" in which voters choose village leaders and local representatives, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM - Revolutionary Party) took 93.7 of the vote.

"CCM is likely to win presidential polls by a large margin and most seats in parliament next year," said Pius Msekwa, CCM's national vice chairman.

"We can now boast of unquestionable grassroot support, opposition parties shared the remaining 6.3 percent, demonstrating miserable failure," he added.

Observers regarded the grassroot polls as a litmus test of the parties' popularity ahead of the 2010 general elections, the fourth since the east African country re-introduced multi-party politics in 1992.

Freeman Mbowe, leader of the opposition Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), admitted that CCM had done well in the civic polls, but warned there was still time to turn things around.

"We have ample time to organise ourselves and campaign vigorously. Things may change and CCM can lose," said Mbowe, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2000 and 2005.

Msomaji
Dar es salaam