THE ruling party CCM's Central Committee (CC) has welcomed political dialogue and reconciliation initiated by the party's Chairperson, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, following the decision to meet and hold talks with opposition politicians.
The party's CC which convened at the weekend blessed and commended the decision, saying that President Samia was in the right direction in healing the nation as well as reducing unnecessary political tensions.
The decision by the CC was announced on Monday at a news conference by the party's Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Shaka Hamdu Shaka.
Last Friday, President Samia chaired the first roundtable meeting between Tanzania's ruling party CCM and the main opposition camp CHADEMA, a move that could signal improved relations between the two political parties.
In the meeting held at the Dodoma State House, President Samia led the CCM team as party chairperson, with Freeman Mbowe heading CHADEMA's delegation in a similar capacity.
CCM leaders who attended the meeting included National Vice-Chairman, Abdulrahman Kinana (Mainland) and Abdallah Sadallah Mabodi (Zanzibar), Secretary of the CCM Central Committee and Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Shaka Hamdu Shaka, among others.
CHADEMA representatives included party Chairman Freeman Mbowe, Vice-Chairman of Zanzibar Saidi Issa Mohamed, General Secretary John Mnyika and some members of the party's Central Committee and Secretariat.
Also in the meeting were Minister of Legal and Constitution Affairs, George Simbachawene and the Attorney General, Dr Eliezer Feleshi.
According to Mr Mbowe, President Samia made a "special request" for the meeting when he met her for private talks -- their second such meeting in just over two months -- at State House in Dar es Salaam on May 9 this year.
They met for the first time on March 4, the same day prosecutors dropped terrorism charges against Mr Mbowe after a drawn-out trial during which he and his three co-accused had spent eight months in detention.
On Monday, Mr Shaka said apart from meeting CHADEMA leaders, the CCM Chairperson had met other opposition leaders including ACT Wazalendo chairperson, Mr Juma Duni Haji.
"Similarly, CCM insisted on the need to intensify dialogue and political reconciliation with a view to creating an equal community, freedom of expression as well as political participation provided that the laws of the country are abided by," noted Mr Shaka.
