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Govt retirees to declare wealth, House is told
2006-03-29 08:20:12
By Bilham Kimati, Dodoma
Retired government leaders discovered to have accumulated wealth through abuse of public office will not be spared in the ongoing crackdown on economic crimes in the country.
Minister in the Office of the President (Good Governance) Philip Marmo told the House in Dodoma yesterday that the law demanding declaration of wealth when government leaders appointed will also be applicable even after retirement.
Responding to a question by Dr Ali Tarabi Ali (Konde) who demanded compulsory declaration of property by retired leaders, the minister reiterated the government’s position on wealth owned by former and serving government leaders.
He said public leaders were obliged to declare their wealth under Public Leadership Ethics Act, which spells out that leaders in central government, local government, parastatals, civic leaders and MPs must declare their wealth upon appointment to the offices or after election.
The law is meant to ensure that leaders do not use their positions to amass wealth through corruption and embezzlement of public resources, Marmo said.
He supported the proposal to subject retired public leaders to the law to declare the wealth accrued while still in government service.
According to the law, the minister said, declaration should be done 30 days upon assuming office.
Phares Kabuye (West Biharamulo) sought to know the number of retired leaders who had violated the law.
The minister said that, so far, none has been identified as having acquired wealth through abuse of office.
Meanwhile, the government said it would initiate a national debate on election code of conduct to weed out corruption in the political realm.
Opposition parties immediately said they will back the debate to plug loopholes used by parties to source funding for their election campaigns.
As the House resumed sittings after a month’s recess, the government refuted allegations that most leaders who won elections last year prevailed because of takrima – a form of gift given out in exchange for votes or favour.
Minister of State in charge of Good Governance Philip Marmo told the House in Dodoma yesterday that there was a need for a public debate following a series of corruption allegations filed by parliamentary and civic candidates who lost elections in the past.
’The government is aware that money is used in elections, although corruption of any sort for by party or any candidate to influence voting is prohibited,’ Marmo said.
He was responding to a question by Phares Kabuye (Biharamulo, TLP), who called for the enactment of a law to ban takrima to buy voters.
Kabuye said since takrima came under intense scrutiny after 2000 polls, it is time the House passed a law that forbids outright corruption, which he said denies low-income earners a chance to vie for elective offices despite having the right qualifications.
In a supplementary question, Kabuye elicited murmuring in the House when he alleged that some MPs bribed their way to parliament.
The minister refuted the allegations, insisting that the government was totally against corruption, which intends to subject it to public debate.
In his response, the minister confirmed that the government was aware of the complaints registered over takrima, saying:
’Corruption is awful and an enemy of democracy. All leaders who come to power through corruption cannot do justice to the public.’
He said the outcome of the national debate would guide the amendment of the Election Act.
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