WAR IN SIDE THE RULING PARTY CCM

PIUS MSEKWA RULING PARTY VICE CHAIRMAN

Pius Msekwa , the ruling party’s Vice Chairman, has finally revealed what really transpired during the last year’s August meeting in which Speaker of the National Assembly came under strong criticism from some NEC members.

Msekwa’s revelation comes as the country awaits the final report to be tabled by the Ali Hassani Mwinyi led committee, formed to probe the genesis of conflict between the ruling party’s legislators, and their government.

It is reported that during that meeting the National Assembly Speaker Samuel Sitta was criticised for breaching certain principles of his party as the body was also accused of “silencing” other members. Another NEC meeting is expected to be held soon.

Msekwa’s account appearing in CCM website says: “…This article is to give a correct and factual account of the proceedings of that particular meeting, in order to dispel certain fears arising from some misrepresentations of fact and allegations of improper motives on the part of CCM, such as the allegation that ‘it had moved to silence its MPs.’”

“In view of these confusing reports, I believe it is important to explain what exactly happened in that NEC meeting,” Msekwa says, adding that it discussed ‘The current state of politics in the country, “covering a wide range of politically sensitive issues.”

According to Msekwa “unacceptable utterances and conduct” of some CCM leaders, particularly members of Parliament – including Samuel Sitta - and Zanzibar’s House of Representatives were among some of those “sensitive issues.”

NEC’s major concern, he says, was the appearance of “confrontational groups” among the ruling party’s members of Parliament based on the question of graft (Ufisadi) and injudicious utterances and conduct of some members of those organs of state. He says it was necessary for NEC to discuss the negative developments so as to take appropriate action to find a viable solution while blaming the media for not reflecting fundamental issues, rather it “entirely” focused on the Speaker.

Msekwa argues that discussion of Parliament proceedings did not breach the constitution; neither did the decision to discuss the conduct of MPs, including the Speaker, inside the Parliament.

He asks: “Was the Speaker ‘clobbered’ in that meeting because of his front line position in the war against mafisadi? Was it a move by NEC to silence its vocal CCM MPs?’ Providing the answer himself, he says: ‘NO answer’ to both questions.
He adds that CCM’s NEC has powers to discuss the conduct of its leaders because such a function is enshrined in the party’s constitution.

“Article 108 of the Constitution of Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) describes the general functions of NEC meetings, whereby sub-article 108 ( prescribes the function of maintaining a regular watch over the conduct and actions of its members and leaders,” points out Msekwa.

He says the meeting therefore proceeded with its business as empowered by the constitution to scrutinise and criticise CCM members of Parliament and House of Representatives for failure to respect constitutionally binding obligation of “safeguarding the interests of their political party in the House.”

He says the Speaker was criticised for failure to observe, while guiding the proceedings of the House, the parliamentary conventions regarding the operation of the oversight function of parliament over the government in a multi-party Parliament.

Secondly, he explains, the CCM MPs were collectively criticised for failure to make proper use of their CCM Parliamentary Standing Committee, or caucus, whose functions are clearly spelt out in the Rules of the Committee, adding that the use of such Committee could have averted unnecessary public confrontations among them.

As for criticism against the Speaker, Msekwa says: “It is the non-observance of the conventions and principles that were adopted from the Westminster model by the Tanzania Parliament. It was the basis of the criticisms directed to the Speaker by NEC, and certainly not because of his stand regarding the war against ‘Ufisadi’, which is the false impression that seems to be rapidly gaining ground.”

He said since the government is accountable to Parliament, the Parliament may indeed criticize ministers, but should not obstruct them in the performance of their government functions.

He added that under the same conventions adopted from Westminster model always there is loyalty, discipline and a strong team spirit among the back-bench MPs of the ruling Party and that the Parliament’s role is to exercise the oversight or control function over the government, but not to govern the country.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY