Chama cha Ukombozi wa Umma (CHAUMMA) is a political party in Tanzania.^[1] Hashim Spunda Rungwe, chairman of CHAUMMA since 2014,^[2] was the first politician in the party's history to run for president when he stood in the 2015 Tanzanian general election.^[3] Many CHAUMMA members were previously aligned with NCCR-Mageuzi,^[4] including Rungwe, who unsuccessfully contested for president as the NCCR-Mageuzi candidate in the 2010 Tanzanian general election.^[5] Rungwe states that CHAUMMA's participation in elections depends on whether the dominant political party, CCM, allows an even playing field for opposition parties.^[2][6] The party's main objectives are increasing happiness, decreasing unemployment, and revitalizing the economy.^[2]

2015 general election

Hashim Rungwe was selected as CHAUMMA's first-ever presidential candidate during the 2015 general election instead of General Secretary Ally Omary Juma and another party member.^[7][3] Some of the main policies Rungwe wanted to focus on were government accountability, national unity, and better support for the impoverished.^[3][4][2] If elected, he would specifically revive Mwanza's struggling economy by returning failing private companies to public ownership.^[4] He believed that the government was responsible for ensuring the quality of infrastructure and the financial success of its citizens, and that revitalization of the cotton-growing industry would decrease poverty and unemployment rates.^[4][2] A longer-term plan is to provide free education to all Tanzanians from nursery school to university and that the country's eventual wealth in resources would make it possible.^[4]

2019 civic election

Along with candidates from a number of other opposition parties, 250 CHAUMMA candidates withdrew from the civic election following claims of nomination irregularities.^[8]

2020 general election

Rungwe represented CHAUMMA in the 2020 Tanzanian general election.^[9][10] His priority in this election was eliminating hunger, particularly through the creation of children's food programs.^[11][12] He promised anyone attending one of his rallies would be given a meal of chicken and rice but was quickly issued a warning from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau stating this would be akin to bribery.^[11][13] Rungwe also showed interest in building a canal between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma to ease goods transportation and in replacing expensive government vehicles with more cost-effective alternates.^[14][11]

References