CUF: Why we threw out Hamad Rashid

Civil Union Front deputy secretary-general (Mainland) Julius Mtatiro briefs the media in Dar es Salaam yesterday on the party’s decision to expel Wawi MP Hamad Rashid Mohammed and three other members.

By The Citizen Reporters

Dar es Salaam. Wawi MP Hamad Rashid Mohammed has been kicked out of the Civil Union Front (CUF) for allegedly revealing party secrets and organising meetings without following party regulations.According to deputy secretary general (Mainland) Julius Mtatiro, the embattled MP published an official document in his recent book, Yaliyojiri. But Mr Mohammed dismisses the claims, saying the offending letter was a personal communication between him and the party’s national secretary general, Mr Seif Shariff Hamad. The party says it is preparing a letter informing Parliament of its decision to strip Mr Mohammed of his membership.   Other members sacked alongside Mr Mohammed are Mr Doyo Hassan Doyo, Mr Shoka Khamis Juma and Mr Juma Said Saani.The list of charges against the MP includes accusing Mr Hamad of failing to discharge his political duties because he is now part of the Government of National Unity in Zanzibar. “Joining the Government of National Unity was the party’s decision,” said Mr Mtatiro. “Accusing him means that he (Mr Mohammed) intends to divide the party.” Mr Mohammed was also penalised for divulging party secrets. “He was not supposed to talk to the media...he was supposed to follow procedures to raise his concerns within the party,” Mr Mtatiro added. At a separate press conference, Mr Mohammed said he wrote the contentious letter to the CUF national chairman and wondered how he could be held to account for publishing his own letter, which he described as “very personal”.  “That was my letter to him, so they can’t prosecute me for that,” said Mr Mohammed. “Did I publish official issues? If not, why should they punish me?” According to the embattled MP, he expressed the same sentiments during the party’s general meeting but was blocked when he tried to follow through his accusations over embezzlement of party property.He also accused the party of disrespecting the judiciary by ignoring a court injunction barring the meeting which sacked him on Wednesday. According to Mr Mtatiro, the group was found guilty of 11 offences after their cases were scrutinised by a number of party organs. Moreover, the sacking of the four members of the CUF National Council was in keeping with procedures set out in the party’s constitution. Mr Mohammed contends that the sacking runs counter to the party’s constitution and the laws of the land, given that there was a court injunction against the meeting that sacked him and three others. He vowed to fight for his CUF membership but would launch his own party should the courts uphold his expulsion. Meanwhile, Mr Mohammed has received the backing of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma North-Chadema). He said sacking Mr Mohammed and the others was not the way to handle the problem, given that he had played a fundamental role in building the party. But CUF officials defended the decision, saying it was made in the interest of the party. More criticism of the way CUF had handled the matter came from the leader of the CCM Youth wing (UVCCM), Mr Hussein Bashe. “This is not the proper way of disciplining somebody,” he said. “They (CUF) need to follow-up Mr Mohammed’s accusations instead of sacking him.” The Registrar of Political Parties, Mr John Tendwa, suggested a review of election processes and the power of political parties to terminate membership. Political parties should make wise decisions in difficult circumstances, he said, or the country would be saddled with by-elections that cost billions of taxpayers’ money. A by-election in one constituency costs no less than Sh19 billion, he said, and a misunderstanding between one member and the party’s leadership should not be reason to “waste” public funds. Mr Tendwa added: “We need to speak on this. My office is getting into trouble, the National Electoral Commission is also being disturbed and the government is using a lot of money unnecessarily. I think political parties need to be wise enough to avoid this.”