2020 Chama Cha Mapinduzi presidential primaries

The 2020 Chama Cha Mapinduzi presidential primaries occurred in July 2020. Incumbent president and 2015 nominee, John Magufuli, ran unopposed for his second term for the President of Tanzania and so there was no primary vote for the Union presidency position. However, Zanzibar president Ali Mohamed Shein is ineligible for re-election due to term limits and a primary was held to determine the Zanzibar presidential nominee. The winners of the primary are the CCM candidates for the 2020 Tanzanian general election and the 2020 Zanzibari general election.

Background

Presidential aspirants must submit their intent to run to the party by June 30, 2020. Each aspirant has to be able to collect 250 sponsors from 12 regions. The party secretariat convened in Dodoma in July to make their decisions. The candidates were vetted by the party congress and names of a select few will be submitted to the National Executive Committee of the party to select the candidate.

Union Presidential Candidates

Incumbent president Dr John Magufuli and party chairman ran unopposed to get the party ticket for re-election. Former foreign minister of Tanzania Bernard Membe intended to collect party nomination forms to contest against the incumbent president, however, the CCM central committee expelled Membe from the party. Following the decision, he returned his party card to leave the party.

Zanzibar Presidential Candidates

The following candidates have been listed according to the dates that they expressed interest or formally announced their candidacy.

Candidate	Background	Notes
	Born 1950, Hometown: Unguja, Zanzibar Alma mater: Columbia University Tanzanian Diplomat and Ambassador	Son of 1st President of Zanzibar, Abeid Karume Brother of 6th President of Zanzibar, Amani Abeid Karume
	Born 1966, Hometown: Unguja, Zanzibar Alma mater: Marmara University, Hammersmith Hospital Member of Parliament for Kwahani Minister of Defence and National Service in Magufuli cabinet	Son of 2nd President of Tanzania, Ali Hassan Mwinyi Decaled candidacy on June 18, 2020
	Retired Major General in Tanzania People's Defence Force Ex-Tanzanian Ambassador to Egypt	Decaled candidacy on June 18, 2020
		Decaled candidacy on June 18, 2020
		Decaled candidacy on June 18, 2020
		Decaled candidacy on June 18, 2020
	Born 1962, Hometown: Unguja, Zanzibar Alma mater:UDSM (BA), OUT Former Chief Minister of Zanzibar Former Union Minister	Decaled candidacy on June 18, 2020
	Former Member of Parliament Chumbuni	Declared candidacy on June 19, 2020
	Minister of Information and Tourism in Zanzibar	Son of Zanzibar revolutionary Thabit Kombo
		Declared candidacy on June 19, 2020
		Declared candidacy on June 19, 2020
	Born 1961, Hometown: Pemba, Zanzibar Alma mater: Astrakhan State TU, University of NSW Member of Parliament Minister of Water and Irrigation in Magufuli cabinet	Declared candidacy on June 19, 2020
		First female presidential aspirant Declared candidacy on June 19, 2020
	Former chairman Zanzibar Election Commission	Declared candidacy on June 20, 2020
	Held previous ministerial positions in the Zanzibar Government	Son of 2nd President of Zanzibar, Aboud Jumbe Declared candidacy on June 26, 2020

Declined to Run

Samia Suluhu, Vice-President of Tanzania, declined to run for the election ticket. citing that the move would be a demotion from her current title.

Results

Union Presidency

Since John Magufuli ran unopposed, he was automatically nominated as the party's candidate as the nominee for the president of Tanzania.

Zanzibar Presidency

Central Committee

On July 9, 2020, the central committee picked 5 names from the list of over 31 presidential aspirants. Of the 5, three names were passed down to the National Executive Council for popular vote.

National Executive Council

On July 10, 2020, the National Executive Council of the party voted on the 3 names passed down by the Central Committee. A total of 164 NEC members took part in the voting, and Hussein Mwinyi won the party nomination by a landslide.