Freeman Aikaeli Mbowe is a Tanzanianpolitician and the current nominated chairman of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo. He was elected to continue as a National Assembly member representing the Hai District in the Kilimanjaro Region as per the 2015 general election. Mbowe was elected to the National Assembly in 2000 representing Hai Constituency. He won 64.5% of the vote, which was the highest percentage of votes won among constituencies with opposition MP's. In preparation for the 2005 elections, Mbowe was nominated to represent CHADEMA as their presidential candidate for the 2005 presidential elections. Jumbe Rajab Jumbe, a Zanzibari was chosen as his vice-presidential candidate. The election was originally scheduled for 30 October 2005, but was postponed until 14 December due to the death of Jumbe. Mbowe constructively criticized the lengthy postponement, saying a week's delay would have sufficed and that his political party cannot afford to finance extra campaigns. Chadema eventually settled on Ms. Anna Maulidah Komu to be the running political party executive. He placed third out of ten candidates in the presidential election of 14 December 2005, winning 5.88% of the vote. Although there are rumours that many of the votes in that election were stolen by the ruling partyChama Cha Mapinduzigoing to their presidential candidate, Jakaya Kikwete. In the 2010 general elections, he was elected as a member of parliament for The united republic of Tanzania parliament after winning against the experienced candidate the incumbent from Mapinduzi, fuya kimbita taking 51.63% of the vote. Currently, he is the leader of the opposition in parliament after his party the chama cha demokrasia na maendeleo won a significant majority in the opposition camp in parliament.]. One of the founders of CHADEMA in 1992, Mbowe is a good strategist which makes him currently one of the main strategists of the CHADEMA political party and a main executive board member in the political party to ensure the political growth of his party, of which he has steadily led as chairman since 2004, in a healthy politically competitive environment that has witnessed a steady collapse of major opposition parties since 1990s at the hands of the CCM government, the country's highly politicized police force, and intelligence.
