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Mtikila maintains he is eligible for poll
2005-07-22 07:52:20
By Mwondoshah Mfanga
The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Rev Christopher Mtikila, has affirmed his faith that National Electoral Commission (NEC) will not bar him from gunning for presidency in the forthcoming general election though he has been jailed twice.
The veteran opposition politician told The Guardian in a telephone interview, no court has ever proved him guilty of breaching the trust that Tanzanians had in him, the only thing that would make NEC bar him.
Rev Mtikila said if anything, the electorate should give him most of the votes as he suffered in jail defending their cause.
The politician was reacting to recent comments by a section of the public that he was jailed for 12 months four years ago and thus does not qualify for the country’s top most job.
’’The offence, which I was, charged and convicted for was political in nature. It had nothing to do with the breach of trust or discipline,’’ he said.
A Kiswahili daily said earlier this week that Mtikila should not dream of winning the presidency because ’’he does not have the qualifications to go there’’.
Mtikila said the Union Constitution bars those who have committed crimes which are of trust and discipline in nature-like theft, robbery, etc—from contesting for presidency and legislative posts.
’’It is important that those who contend that I do not qualify for the post should read this section of the Constitution between the lines, instead of merely rushing into making conclusions,’’ he said.
Mtikila was jailed for 12 months in 1999 after he was convicted of uttering abusive words against the former CCM Secretary General, the late Horace Kolimba.
He was again given a six-month suspended jail sentence in 2004 after the Ilala District Magistrate, Angela Ngasoma, found him guilty of using abusive words against the Ilala OCD, Senior Superintendent of Police, Arthur Magoti.
Under article 67 Section 2 (c) and (d) of the Constitution, any person is barred from contesting for the Union presidency or legislature if he was found guilty of an offence, that has to do with the breach of trust, discipline or the leadership code.
Besides, he must have been sentenced to serve, in jail, for six months to five years up to the period of the election.
NEC Director of Elections Rajabu Kiravu, when asked why he gave Mtikila forms to run for president knowing he was unqualified, he said the press should not interfere with electoral process.
’’What we are doing now is to issue the forms to nominated presidential aspirants picked by respective political parties. The period to vet the contestants is on August 20,’’ he said.
For now the commission was only issuing nomination forms, he added.
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