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Sitta throws out Zitto`s appeal
2007-12-31 09:11:12
By Guardian Reporter
The Speaker of the National Assembly has rejected a formal request made by Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe, who had called for Parliament to apologize and review the six month suspension which he served last year.
MP Zitto Kabwe had appealed for reversal of decisions ``made by the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and session chairperson`` when his motion calling for a formation of a probe committee on mineral contracts was deliberated and eventually voted out.
The MP is currently a member of a presidential probe committee on the mining sector, which is serving the same purpose he had demanded.
House Speaker Samwel Sitta, in a statement issued by his office yesterday, said: ``Honourable Zitto`s letter has deliberately misconstrued the concept of motion within a motion during House debates.
A motion querying the correctness of what an MP is saying is given without notice at any given time during a debate on a basic motion.
That is why an MP is required to confirm the authenticity of his statement, withdraw the statement or pray for more time to document his allegations.
The decisions made against Honourable Zitto were taken in light of that procedure, which is both legal and normal.``
Sitta said the decision was not made by the Speaker but Parliament as an institution, and there was thus no need to tell the Speaker to summon the House Committee on Procedures to review the penalty that was meted against the MP.
``This is not an appeal, but a personal political propaganda letter,`` the Speaker said.
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