Wycliffe Nyamasege
ACT Wazalendo party leader Zitto Kabwe has lost his Kigoma Urban Parliamentary seat to Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s Kirumbe Ng’enda in poll results announced on Thursday evening.
According to Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission (NEC), Ng’enda garnered 27,638 votes with Kabwe coming in second with 20,600.
Shortly after the results were announced, Kabwe took to social media to allege electoral malpractice.
According to the seasoned politician, the President John Pombe Magufuli-led government rigged the election in favour of their CCM candidate.
“Another opposition stronghold forcefully taken. My constituency has been taken. It is a New Dawn, ” said Kabwe.
Another opposition stronghold forcefully taken. My constituency has been taken. It is a New Dawn
— Zitto MwamiRuyagwa Kabwe (@zittokabwe) October 29, 2020
Kabwe said that he had trounced the CCM candidate with over 5000 votes.
“Licha ya kuingiza kwenye vituo kura zilizokwishapigwa zipatazo 15,850 ( kura 50 kila Kituo cha kupigia kura ) nimemshinda Mgombea wa CCM kwa kura 5218. Hata hivyo Mgombea wa CCM katangazwa mshindi kwa tofauti ya kura 7000. Tunafungua ukurasa Mpya wa mapambano ya demokrasia nchini, ” he added.
Kabwe becomes the latest opposition lawmaker to lose his seat to a CCM candidate in the Wednesday poll marred by fraud claims.
Earlier, Chadema national chairman Freeman Mbowe lost his long-held seat at Hai constituency to CCM’s Saashisha Mafuwe.
Mbowe had on the eve of the poll tweeted that his life was “in danger” accusing police of raiding his hotel.
“Tonite @ 2.30 am & in the eve of an election day in Tz, heavily armed gangsters believed to be the notorious operators of Hai DC Ole Sabaya & protected by Hai Police OCD have raided our hotel, kidnapped & disappeared with two of our armed security guards. My life is in danger, ” he said.
Tonite @ 2.30 am & in the eve of an election day in Tz, heavily armed gangsters believed to be the notorious operators of Hai DC Ole Sabaya & protected by Hai Police OCD have raided our hotel, kidnapped & disappeared with two of our armed security guards. My life is in danger.
— Freeman Mbowe (@freemanmbowetz) October 28, 2020
Earlier, Chadema presidential candidate Tundu Lissu said he will not accept the outcome of the Wednesday poll.
In a press statement, Lissu said the election was marred by irregularities further accusing President Magufuli of using the country’s electoral commission and the police to rig the poll.
“Whatever happened yesterday was not an election, and thus we do not recognise it. We do not accept the result,” Lissu told reporters in Dar es Salaam as he called for mass protests.
“This is not an election at all. We do not accept, and do not agree, with any results coming from this process.”
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