Only just back in Tanzania after a three-year medical stay in Belgium following an assassination attempt, presidential candidate hopeful and one of the main opposition leaders to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, Tundu Lisso, is fired up and calling for his supporters to rally for the sake of the country, "In the past 5 years since Magufuli came into power, our relationship with other countries has been ruined."

Lisso disclosed that about 1,020 Chadema councillorship aspirants were disqualified out of 3,754 candidates who were in the race in 3,955 wards in mainland Tanzania. He also asserted that 53 candidates for parliamentary seats were eliminated from election participation out of 244 hopefuls approved to contest the October 28 elections.

“They have been eliminated even before the election whistle has been blown. Candidate disqualification has been done unjustifiably against legal procedures and rules,” he said passionately to his devoted supporters during his public address at his maiden rally at Zakhem grounds in Dar es Salaam last Friday.

He added, “In Zanzibar, as the chairman said, the opposition political party ACT-Wazalendo has suffered a similar blow where a total of 47 candidates including 16 from Pemba have been disqualified.”

The deputy leader of the CHADEMA party called for peaceful rallies to demand justice for those dubiously disqualified from the October polls — as both he and ex-foreign minister, Bernard Membe, the other main opposition, alleged sabotage by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party to declare victory for the sought the second term of President John Magufuli without elections before even bidding for votes.