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Kingunge threatens Kabwe, colleagues with arrest
2007-09-19 09:12:37
By Patrick Kisembo
The Political Affairs and Civil Societies relations minister, Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru, has threatened opposition leaders now undertaking countrywide tours with arrest.
He was addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam, where he said that the freedom enjoyed by opposition leaders in Tanzania was not found elsewhere.
`Chama Cha Mapinduzi and its government are the only custodians of this democracy. Opposition leaders should not force us to arrest them for breaking the law,` he said.
He said the government had law enforcers capable of arresting them if they failed to abide by the law.
Kingunge said the countrywide tours made by opposition leaders amounted to abuse of freedom of assembly and expression.
He said the opposition politicians were frustrated after losing the 2005 general election to the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi.
Leaders of four political parties—Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, Tanzania Labour Party, Civic United Front and NCCR-Mageuzi have been on a countrywide tour to highlight the grand corruption involving highly placed government officials.
Kingunge blamed the opposition leaders `for abusing the freedom of expression, which every Tanzanian enjoys`.
`Our colleagues of the opposition should remember that the freedom they currently enjoy is only found in Tanzania. Opposition parties in other countries do not have that kind of freedom,` said the minister.
He said leaders of opposition parties had managed to enjoy that freedom because Tanzania was a democratic state.
The minister also attacked academics for questioning rules and regulations governing the conduct of Parliament.
`The Bunge has its own rules that those responsible must uphold. I am surprised that some academics are not aware of this fact,` said the minister.
He was referring to a recent public reaction over the way the issue of Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe was handled by Parliament.
Kabwe was suspended from attending Bunge sessions until January, 2008 for allegedly lying in Parliament that the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Nazir Karamagi, cheated the august House over a controversial mining contract he signed in London.
Ever since he was suspended in August this year, Kabwe, accompanied by other opposition leaders, has been going around the country, pleading his case.
Kingunge said yesterday that Kabwe had failed to defend his case in the legislature.
`He is going around the country cheating people and trying to antagonize them against the government.`
`Kabwe was given opportunity by the Speaker of the National Assembly to defend himself. Rather than apologize, he called himself a democratic,` said the minister.
`The opposition fared badly in the general election as well as in the private motion they had tabled. They cannot call themselves patriotic,`he said, adding:
`How can you tell the wananchi that you are patriotic when you are going against the rules and regulations of the legislature?`
On Saturday, opposition leaders addressed a public rally at Mwembe Yanga in Temeke, Dar es Salaam where they made public names of government leaders said to have been involved in gross embezzlement of public funds.
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