DR SLAA: I'LL GO PUBLIC IF BUNGE BLOCKS DISCUSSION ON ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST

Slaa up in arms on 'silencing' in House
By Faraja Jube Dodoma

Karatu MP Willibrod Slaa has threatened to "go public" with what he said were issues of national interest the Parliament blocked him from tabling in the august House on Monday.

Some MPs heckled the firebrand opposition leader as he stood up in parliament on Monday to give a speech on the Prime Minister's Office 2009/10 Budget.

Dr Slaa had reportedly prepared a vitriolic attack on former President Benjamin Mkapa and the Government over alleged mismanagement of funds.

Before giving his speech, the Chadema leader was reminded to respect the Parliamentary Standing Orders and warned not to breach the law in his presentation.

But in an interview with The Citizen yesterday, Dr Slaa said the National Assembly Speaker, Mr Samwel Sitta, had no right to block debate on sensitive public issues.

He said: "I have written to the Speaker asking him why unnecessary restrictions are being imposed on MPs who want to discuss matters of public interest in parliament."

He threatened to go public with the same issues he was barred from presenting in parliament saying he had the right to let people know about matters that affected them.

"If they don't want us to speak in parliament, it will reach a point where the only reasonable thing to do is table the agenda to the people," said Dr Slaa.

CCM MPs accused the opposition legislator of attempting to use the platform to launch a verbal attack against Mr Mkapa.

Mr Mudhihir Mudhihir (Mchinga-CCM) defended the former president saying he had done "a lot of good things but people want to see the negative only".

"It was under his leadership that this country recorded significant increases in Government revenue," the MP said, praising Mr Mkapa's administration for containing inflation and opening a number of trade opportunities.

Another CCM legislator, Dr Chrisant Mzindakaya (Kwela), tried to have Dr Slaa blocked from presenting his speech at all.

But even when he finally gave his speech, the opposition leader was forced to skip tabling his prepared questions on controversial deals the Mkapa administration allegedly signed.

And in an apparent reference to Dr Slaa, Dr Mzindakaya lashed out at "jealousy hypocrites and good-for-nothing crusaders against corruption".

"Those who criticise Mr Mkapa are agents of the Devil and loafers who have done nothing in life, but are motivated by jealousy and hatred. They are themselves corrupt people," he said.

But Dr Slaa insisted he would not relent on the issues he was barred from talking about saying the Constitution and Parliamentary Immunities and Privileges Act guarantee MPs the freedom to challenge the Government in the parliament.

"I will not accept such moves by anyone any more. This is all compromising principles. But I will stand up for my principles and for justice. We all have the right voice our concerns," he said.

Dr Slaa, who had prepared his disputed speech as a shadow minister, said the Government was obliged to respond to all queries raised by MPs in parliament.

"Even if the issues are sensitive, this is the whole purpose of raising them so that people can know and be informed about what is going on," he said.

"But there has been a tendency to block all sensitive issues from being discussed in parliament," he added.

Before he gave his controversial speech, Mr Sitta told the opposition MP he had read the speech and warned him against making statements that breached parliamentary regulations.

The Speaker had also ordered Dr Slaa not to use abusive language against a former president or discuss issues that had been lined for debate during the session.

Earlier, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Governance, Mr George Lubeleje, a CCM MP, had tabled the committee's position against Dr Slaa's speech.

However, the opposition leader retorted: "Why must I have any confidence in the committee or Speaker's office if they insist on imposing on us?"

He questioned the Speaker's application of the Parliamentary Standing Orders to the contentious issues of Meremeta, Tangold, Mwananchi and Deep Green Finance companies.

Last Friday, Dr Slaa asked the Government to respond to allegations of funds mismanagement involving the four companies that have become subjects of public debate.

"I was just questioning the Government over the embezzlement of Sh155 billion in Meremeta and not about the issues pertaining to national security," he said.

Mr Sitta postponed the debate to this Monday saying the Government should be given time to prepare its response.

But Dr Slaa also questioned the Parliament barred debate on the CAG report. "Where does the Speaker obtain the directive to block the debate?"

On the PMO's 2009/10 Budget estimates, the Chadema leader queried the allocation of billions of shillings to entertainment and hospitality, which he said had nothing to do the welfare of people.

He had to put up with sporadic interventions, mainly from Mr Philip Marmo, the minister of State in the President's Office (Good Governance), who also serves as coordinator of parliamentary activities.

Mr Marmo wanted, among other things, the Speaker to reprimand Dr Slaa for his reference to the amount of funds set aside for particular votes in the Government's Budget.

However, Mr Sitta said there was nothing wrong with the MP debating the Government's budget priorities.

SOURCE: The Citizen

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MZEE RUKSA AMEONYESHA MFANO,MASLAHI YA WANANCHI NI MUHIMU KULIKO YA KISIASA

Magazeti mbalimbali ya leo huko nyumbani yameongozwa na habari za uzinduzi wa kampeni za CCM katika uchaguzi mdogo wa jimbo la Mbeya Vijijini unaotarajiwa kufanyika baadaye mwezi huu.Rais Mstaafu Ali Hassan Mwinyi ndiye aliyezindua kampeni hizo na kufanya kila ambacho kwa muda mrefu kimekuwa adimu katika duru za siasa za vyama vingi huko nyumbani.Kwa mujibu wa habari hizo,Mwinyi,maarufu kama Mzee Ruksa,alitumia sehemu kubwa ya hotuba yake kuzungumzia maslahi ya wana-Mbeya Vijijini katika uchaguzi huo badala ya kuipigia debe CCM pekee.

"Mwinyi...hakuonyesha unazi kwa CCM wala mgombea wake wakati alipozindua kampeni za chama hicho jana katika kata ya Kijiji cha Ilembo kilicho tarafa ya Isangati wilayani Mbeya Vijijini.Badala yake, Mwinyi alisisitiza amani, mshikamano na maendeleo ya wilaya ya Mbeya Vijijini, akiwataka wananchi wa eneo hilo kuhakikisha wanabakia na mshikamano wakati wanasiasa watakapoondoka jimboni humo baada ya purukushani za uchaguzi..." linaandika gazeti la Mwananchi.

Tanzania Daima linamnukuu Mwinyi akisema kwamba "Vyama vya siasa vishindane kwa sera, visitumie lugha za matusi, kejeli, dharau na uongo wakati wa kampeni, uungwana wenu viongozi wa siasa utawapa matumaini wananchi kuchagua chama au mtu wanayemtaka ili kuhakikisha kuwa maendeleo ya nchi yanakua kwa kasi".

Akionyesha kuthamini zaidi maslahi ya wananchi wa Mbeya vijijini kuliko ya kisiasa,Rais huyo mstaafu aliwausia wapiga kura jimboni humo "kumsikiliza kila mgombea kwa makini na baadaye kila mmoja amchague yule anayeona sera za chama chake zinakidhi matumaini ya wananchi wa Mbeya Vijijini, " na kuhakikisha "kwamba wakati wanasiasa wetu wanapoondoka Mbeya Vijijini baada ya kampeni nyinyi mnabaki kuwa kitu kimoja katika umoja wenu," linaeleza Habari Leo.

MIONGONI MWA MAMBO YANAYOKWAZA MAENDELEO NI KUWEKA MBELE MASLAHI YA KISIASA BADALA YA YALE YA WANANCHI.OF COURSE,VIONGOZI WA VYAMA VYA SIASA WANAPASWA KUSIMAMIA MASLAHI YA VYAMA VYAO LAKINI NI MUHIMU KWAO KUTAMBUA KUWA JUKUMU KUU LA VYAMA HIVYO NI KUWAHUDUMIA WANANCHI NA NI WANANCHI HAOHAO WANAOWEZESHA KUWEPO HAI KWA CHAMA IN THE FORM OF WANACHAMA.KWA MANTIKI HIYO,WANANCHI,REGARDLESS YA POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS ZAO,WANA NAFASI NA UMUHIMU WA KIPEKEE KWA VYAMA VYA SIASA HASA IKIZINGATIWA PIA KWAMBA WAO NDIO PIA CHIMBUKO LA UONGOZI KATIKA CHAMA CHOCHOTE CHA SIASA.

BAADA YA KUNG'ATUKA KATIKA ACTIVE POLITICS,BABA WA TAIFA ALIJITAHIDI KUCHUKUA NAFASI YA UANASIASA WA KITAIFA BADALA YA KICHAMA AMBAPO MARA KADHAA ALIWEKA MKAZO KATIKA MASUALA YANAYOHUSU TAIFA KWA UPANA BADALA YA YALE YA CHAMA CHAKE CHA CCM PEKEE,LICHA YA KUWA YEYE NDIO ALIKUWA MIONGONI MWA WAASISI WAKUU WA CHAMA HICHO TAWALA.KWA UPANDE MWINGINE,MWINYI NAFASI YA MWINYI BAADA YA KUSTAAFU UENYEKITI WA CCM IMEPEWA ATTENTION NDOGO NA WACHAMBUZI WA SIASA PAMOJA NA MEDIA KWA KUTOFANYA REFERENCE YA NAMNA KIONGOZI HUYO WA ZAMANI ANAVYOJITAHIDI KUFUATA FOOTSTEPS ZA BABA WA TAIFA KATIKA KUTANGULIZA ZAIDI MASLAHI YA WANANCHI NA TAIFA KWA UJUMLA BADALA YA KUENDEKEZA UNAZI WA KISIASA PEKEE.

NI MATUMAINI YA WATANZANIA WOTE WAPENDA MAENDELEO KWAMBA MFANO HUU WA MZEE MWINYI UTAIGWA NA WANASIASA WETU WOTE KAMA KWELI NIA YAO NI KUTUHUDUMIA KUPITIA VYAMA VYAO.LAKINI PIA WANANCHI NAO WANAPASWA KUFUMBUKA MACHO NA KUTAMBUA KWAMBA UNAZI WA KISIASA HAUPASWI KUWA INFRONT OF MASLAHI YAO KAMA WANANCHI,NA KWA MANTIKI HIYO TOFAUTI ZETU ZA KIITIKADI HAZIPASWI KULETA MGAWANYIKO AU KUPELEKEA KUCHAGUA VIONGOZI WABOVU KWA VILE TU WANATOKA KATIKA VYAMA TUNAVYOSHABIKIA.

HONGERA SANA MZEE RUKSA.YOU TRULY HAVE SHOWN THE RIGHT WAY.

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