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Mixed reaction over Kabwe`s suspension
2007-08-16 09:30:06
By Musita John and Lydia Shekighenda
Tuesday`s suspension of fiery opposition legislator Zitto Kabwe from the National Assembly until January 2008 has been greeted by mixed feelings.
The reaction, compiled in a daylong random survey by The Guardian yesterday, comes only a day after Members of Parliament voted against the North Kigoma Chadema MP after he had grilled Energy and Mineral minister Nazir Karamagi over the controversial signing of a mining contract.
Kabwe tabled a private motion, asking the House to form a committee to probe the government’s contract with Barrick Gold Mining Company that Karamagi admitted he signed in London in February.
The legislator also wanted the committee to investigate what he saw as a questionable review of mining agreements between the government and investors.
Kabwe`s motion triggered heated debate with little record in the House, with one-time deputy minister Mudhihir Mudhihir (Mchinga - CCM) calling for the immediate suspension of the opposition MP for making unsubstantiated and malicious statements. A resolution to that effect was ultimately passed by acclamation.
University of Dar es Salaam long-serving law lecturer and political activist Sengondo Mvungi said: “Kabwe has been crucified as he gallantly struggled to protect and defend the welfare and rights of the poor and suffering Tanzanian masses.
His suspension inhibits the freedom to represent our people and prohibits freedom of expression by MPs, who are the very people`s representatives in our legislative assembly.``
Dr Mvungi said the up-and-coming legislator wonderfully represented all Tanzanians and not only people from his constituency, adding: “If you talk of mining contracts in Tanzania, you are speaking of a very sensitive issue.
MPs who voted against him include the same ones who signed or have been signing questionable contracts on behalf of the government and they do not care about the nation’s interests.``
Augustine Mrema, the outspoken national chairman of the opposition Tanzania Labour Party, said the Kigoma North MP had been ``very unfairly punished amid a series of suspicious events championed by CCM legislators as part of a blatant campaign to contain opposition legislators.``
Mrema recalled the days when he was similarly punished after he raised a motion which the ruling party did not take kindly.
``CCM has always been reluctant to accept challenges and instead often resorts to harassing and punishing critical opposition MPs, just like they did the other day with another Chadema legislator, Philemon Ndesamburo,``he said.
He added: ``It seems that CCM has a well-devised conspiracy against the opposition camp because if it was to punish every legislator violating House Standing Orders, the exercise could have started with Adam Malima (Mkuranga - CCM) for blatantly lying to the House and occasion a loss of some 100m/- in taxpayers` money.``
Karatu legislator Wilbroad Slaa (Chadema) also argued that Kabwe’s case was grossly mishandled, adding that the Energy and Minerals minister should have submitted empirical data to support his defence instead of having the House rush into suspending the MP.
According to Slaa, Kabwe merely demanded an independent probe committee to find the truth but the minister completely failed to present convincing evidence that he had not erred.
``There are two options at Kabwe’s disposal, one being to appeal to the people and the second being to go to court so that justice can take its course.
For Chadema as a party, it is too early to say anything but, for me as a legislator, my view is that the people have a big role in making the world know that this sad development has undermined the development of democracy in Tanzania,” he said.
He was supported by NCCR-Mageuzi national chairman James Mbatia, who said the government had ``failed to give satisfactory answers to the questions raised by Hon. Kabwe over the controversial signing of the mining contract and instead decided to silence him``.
Mbatia said Kabwe was subjected to an excessive and totally unfair punishment, adding: “As an MP, Kabwe has distinguished himself all along as a warrior ever ready to fight for the people’s interests. It is unfortunate that the national interest has been undermined by a simple act of acclamation. “Kabwe is a hero and the people will stand on his side,” he said.
Civic United Front deputy secretary general Wilfred Lwakatare said the National Assembly’s Standing Orders have serious flaws and call for immediate review.
“These orders are just too harsh to MPs and limit their freedom of expression and ability to truly represent the electorate.
We hail Kabwe for emerging a hero in representing the opposition camp and Tanzanians generally. What has been done to him should be considered as a challenge to all MPs,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organisations has called for the lifting of the suspension on Kabwe and the amendment of the House Standing Orders to give more freedom to legislators.
Lawyers Environmental Action Team executive director Tindu Lissu told journalists in Dar es Salaam that the offence Kabwe was said to have committed was too minor to call for the penalty it attracted.
He said the House Speaker had not said whether that was Kabwe’s first such offence because, if it was, then the punishment should have been a lot more lenient than was the case.
Lissu added that the MP was not even allowed the chance to justify or denounce his statement, like has been commonly the practice.
However, a Dar es Salaam resident, Ally Abdallah, said Kabwe was appropriately punished for violating Standing Orders he was supposed to observe, but the House Speaker should always ensure that the legal provisions used in punishing the Kigoma North MP applied equally to all legislators.
Opposition Chief Whip Khalifa Suleiman Khalifa (Gando - CUF) said Kabwe was punished in a way meant to intimidate other legislators so that they restrained from questioning wrong decisions made by the government, adding that the House did not even care to get a response on the fateful private motion.
However, Teddy Kasella Bantu (Bukene - CCM) disagreed, saying the House Standing Orders were followed, even if the number of CCM and opposition legislators inside the House chamber fell short of demands of quorum.
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