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CCM meet to discuss confidential agenda
2007-09-04 09:40:36
By Lydia Shekighenda
The ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi Central Committee will hold an extra-ordinary meeting tomorrow in Dodoma. Information availed yesterday and confirmed by CCM secretary general Yusuph Makamba revealed that the meeting, to be chaired by party chairman President Jakaya Kikwete, had been convened on short notice and would discuss various party matters.
Makamba, who was on his way to Dodoma to spearhead preparations for the meeting, told The Guardian that the agenda was confidential and would be made public soon after the meeting.
``As for now, I will not disclose anything,`` Makamba said
There have been allegations and counter allegations of bribery in the ongoing CCM internal elections.
There is a possibility that President Kikwete`s crackdown against election fraud in CCM elections might top the agenda.
Several party aspirants have been arrested by officials of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau on allegations of bribing their way into the on-going internal elections.
Among them are two Members of Parliament, Elisa Mollel for Arumeru West, who is vying for a position in the National Executive Committee and Lekule Laizer, the Longido legislator, who is running for CCM Chairmanship in Arusha Region.
The party`s ethics committee in Arusha had asked the two MPs to resign.
However, they have refused to do so, pleading innocence.
Makamba said yesterday that the party had not yet reached any decision on the Arusha incident and similar election scandals involving CCM members.
A leading CCM cadre, Pancreas Ndejembi, was recently quoted by a newspaper report as saying that corruption in the ruling party had reached dangerous levels.
``High ranking party leaders are the people with the capability to buy votes. It is these leaders and wealthy individuals who use their money to push the party into a difficult situation,`` he said.
Without naming names, Ndejembi was quoted as saying that the on-going hullabaloo on corruption within party ranks was a move to create an environment for the 2010 elections.
``They want to place their own people so that they can easily sail through the parliamentary elections,`` he said.
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