Five parties to back Mvungi
 
2005-08-17 08:40:58
By  Lusekelo Philemon

	Dr Sengondo Mvungi

Five opposition parties will field Dr Sengondo Mvungi of NCCR-Mageuzi as their Union presidential candidate in this year’s general election.

His running mate, Naila Jidawi, will retain the position as the opposition attempts to forge the ever-elusive united front against CCM.

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the chairman of the alliance, Fahmi Durutwa, said the five parties had agreed to contest the October 30 elections as a bloc.

Durutwa, who is UPDP chairman, said Dr Mvungi and his running mate were the best candidates to represent a united opposition in its bid to wrest power from CCM.

The five parties that formed the alliance are, the Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD), NCCR-Mageuzi, National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA), Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD) and United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP).

Durutwa said the alliance was intended to strengthen the opposition against CCM.
’’The ruling party would not get a landslide victory as it has been the case in the past elections. That is why I insist that doors for other opposition political parties to join the alliance are open,’’Durutwa said.

A source at the press conference told The Guardian that the party was in talks with Civic United Front (CUF), Chadema and Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) to come on board.

However, it was not clear to whom in these parties they have been talking to as TLP’s presidential candidate Augustine Mrema and CUF’s, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, have in the past expressed reservations over the workability of a united opposition against CCM.

He said the decision to field one presidential candidate was in response to Tanzanians’ quest for a political change.

He added that the decision would provide an opportunity to more people to exercise their right of making an informed decision without fear.

’’Patriotism, rather than parochial party interests, motivated our decision to form a common front,’’ he said.

Durutwa said the alliance was gunning for a landslide victory over the ruling party.
’’We are capable of winning the polls and we expect to amend some of the laws that muzzle democracy in the country,’’ he said.

He said that parties had also agreed on modalities they would use to win parliamentary and civic seats.
’’For every constituency, the coalition would field one candidate,’’ he said.

• SOURCE: Guardian