.png)
The Chairman of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Richard Lymo, has made it clear that he is unwilling to join forces with other opposition parties in the upcoming General Election unless his party is given the opportunity to field a presidential candidate.
Lymo shared his stance today in Dar es Salaam during a meeting with journalists who had visited his office to inquire whether TLP would join a coalition aimed at strengthening the opposition for the anticipated elections later this year.
“If they want us to unite, I will tell them that they must give my party the chance to present a presidential candidate, and nothing less.
If they agree, there will be no problem. However, we cannot fall into the trap of elevating another party above ours,” Lymo stated.
He further explained that political parties are built on their support base, and when they unite, they form a larger entity that can be heard during elections.
This coalition could help secure a significant number of parliamentary and local council seats, but strengthening smaller parties is no easy task, as it requires considerable funding to manage them effectively.
Lymo also pointed out that during the UKAWA coalition, the party leaders agreed not to interfere in each other's constituencies.
He expressed his surprise when one party placed a candidate in another's constituency, a move he described as a violation of their prior agreements.
While some opposition leaders are hopeful that the coalition will be the key to displacing the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in the next General Election, Lymo believes the process will ultimately fail and views it as a tactic to deceive Tanzanians.
