In November 2002, President Benjamin Mkapa nominates Dr. Salim to become a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. He went on to win with 1505 votes, thrusting him back into Tanzanian politics. His return from Addis Ababa kickstarted a whole debate around his future, particularly gearing up to the 2005 general elections. Below is a look at press coverage immediately after Dr. Salim's return in September 2001 through to 2003 with much of the focus on CCM's inter party elections.
