Political parties registrar, John Tendwa speaks to journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | RAFAEL LUBAVA
Dar/Arusha. Arusha exploded into chaos yesterday as police and mobs fought
running battles over a meeting that had been declared illegal. Business came to
a standstill as riot police fired teargas at Chadema supporters determined to
defy an order to leave the scene of Saturday’s grenade attack.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of Political Parties, Mr John Tendwa, told CCM and
Chadema to stop politicising issues of national security.
In Arusha, gunfire rent the air as police and mobs at Kaloleni played a
cat-and-mouse game in the northern city. Chaos erupted shortly after 3pm when
Chadema leaders, including MPs who had just arrived from Dodoma, started to
address the surging crowd. Gunfire was still rocking the city by 5pm.
Several ambulances were heading to hospital with the injured while scores of
Chadema leaders are believed to have been picked up by heavily-armed police.
The confrontation between police and the protestors extended to the inner
city, mainly targeting people in groups. Other law enforcers appeared to fire
into the air to scare anyone trying to get close to Kaloleni.
Traffic came to a standstill along the busy Moshi-Nairobi highway as armed
policemen in open vehicles directed their anger at youths who had barricaded
the roads with stones.
Mr Tundu Lissu, the opposition chief whip and MP for Singida East, and three
other Chadema MPs including Mustapha Akunaay (Mbulu), Said Arfi (Mpanda Urban)
and Joyce Mukya (Special seats) were arrested for addressing an illegal
assembly, according to official reports.
“We have arrested Mr Lissu, three other MPs and other Chadema supporters
because of illegal assembly,” Head of Operations and Training Paul Chagonja
told a local radio station. “They are likely to spend the night in custody
because we will have to question them and follow other police procedures that
might take long.”
He denied rumours that Mr Lissu had been killed in the confrontation between
Chadema supporters and police and confirmed that the MP was safe and sound in
police custody.
At a press conference earlier, Mr Chagonja said three people had been
arrested in connection with the bomb attack and were being questioned.
Yesterday’s chaos in Arusha comes after a day of exchanges between the ruling
party, CCM, cabinet ministers, the police and Chadema.
CCM accused Chadema of staging the bomb attack for political gain and
Chadema officials said they had photographic evidence of a police officer
throwing the grenade into the crowd.
But the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy,
Coordination and Parliament), Mr William Lukuvi, said in Parliament that there
were reports that Chadema supporters blocked the police from pursuing the
bomber.
Amidst the blame game and politicking, the Registrar of Political Parties,
Mr John Tendwa, warned Chadema and CCM against politicising issues concerning
national security because they risked plunging the nation into chaos.
Addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam, Mr Tendwa urged the two
parties to submit their evidence on who sponsored the attack to the police. He
added: “This is what happens in a civic by-election. What should we expect in
the constitutional referendum later this year, or in the countrywide grassroots
elections next year or even in the General Election the following year? Will we
come out safe? I am planning to meet both CCM, Chadema and police officials to
discuss the matter. “We should find a lasting solution. There is no way our
peace and stability can be tampered with. I strongly warn the political parties
to stop accusing each other and stick to delivering evidence that will see the
culprits arraigned.”
Meanwhile, Chadema yesterday called on President Jakaya Kikwete to form an
independent judicial team to investigate the rising extra-judicial killings
during political rallies. The party says it has lost faith in the police force.
Chadema accuses police officers of all the killings, including last week’s
bombing in Arusha, and is also questioning whether the force has what it takes
to carry out an impartial inquest.
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