Anxiety as Ukawa candidate awaited

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Dar es Salaam. The Coalition of Defenders of the People’s Constitution (Ukawa) is set to nominate its presidential candidate today amid speculation, tension and uncertainty of a possible split.

The four opposition parties that make up the Ukawa have for the past two weeks been involved in a series of behind-the-scenes meetings that have raised doubts over whether their plan to field a single candidate to bear their flag in the October polls will materialise.

Ukawa is made up of Chadema, CUF, NCCR-Mageuzi and NLD.

The naming of the candidate today would end hearsay and speculation mainly through the impatient social media and the mainstream news outlets on the possible fallout within the Opposition which had vowed to stand as one, having noted that there was no other way by which they could even think about ousting CCM.

But should they fail to agree on the matter, their dream to beat one of Africa’s oldest political parties together in the next General Election is likely to remain just that—a dream.

This would be a big disappointment as democracy lovers view the Coalition as a force that CCM would have to fight hard to overcome.

Top leaders of the four parties which created the union signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to field one candidate in all elective posts as a way of uniting their forces against the well-footed CCM.

It was earlier reported that the parties have failed to agree on the matter and that some had threatened to pull out of the alliance.

On Saturday morning, Ukawa had a closed-door meeting at Kawe whereby they failed to agree on several issues including that of sharing constituencies and the person to hold the Ukawa ticket to State House.

The meeting was attended by Ukawa co-chairmen, member parties’ secretaries and MPs as well as lawyers and political analysts who comprise the grouping’s think-tank.

The participants of this meeting are the ones who have an advisory role and charged with charting the way forward right from the time the entity was set up for the express purpose of devising the way to kick out CCM from power.

The parties had decided to have a week of consultations before they name their candidate.