THE deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Tulia Ackson, yesterday appeared to come to the rescue of Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa as opposition members of parliament tried to pin him down on sensitive matters of political freedom and democracy in the country.
Specifically, Ackson had to intervene to cool things down in the august House after the opposition camp called for Majaliwa’s resignation over a controversial quote purportedly made by President John Magufuli regarding the future of opposition politics in the country.
In a supplementary question during the impromptu Bunge question-and-answer session for the prime minister, opposition camp leader Freeman Mbowe challenged Majaliwa to step down of his own accord if they (the opposition) produced proof of a spoken presidential threat to ‘kill’ opposition politics in the country by the year 2020.
Mbowe, in his initial question, had asked the premier to explain why the government was failing to ensure that the rule of law prevails in the wake of opposition politicians recently being incarcerated in prison for trivial, if not trumped-up, offences.
“As Tanzania marks the International Law Day - which the president, the (National Assembly) Speaker, and the Chief Justice are all currently commemorating in Dar es Salaam - I would like you (premier) to tell us whether your government is out to kill the opposition, as has been asserted by the president,” the CHADEMA chairman and Hai legislator said.
But before Majaliwa could respond, deputy speaker Ackson chipped in to inform Mbowe that the session was meant for questions on policy issues only, for which (according to her) Mbowe’s question did not qualify.
The adamant Mbowe went further, citing the cases of Arusha MP Godless Lema - who is in currently languishing in remand prison - and Kilombero MP Peter Lijualikali - who was recently sentenced to six months in jail for disturbing the peace at a local council meeting – as examples of a grand plan to derail political opposition efforts in the country.
Both Lema and Lijualikali are CHADEMA members. Mbowe also cited the recent arrest of several CHADEMA officials in Lindi as part of the bigger plot, and accused the government of using the Registrar of Political Parties to meddle in the affairs of another major opposition party, the Civic United Front (CUF).
“The opposition camp here in parliament, and the entire general public, would like to know whether all of this happening around opposition politicians is part of the bigger plan to kill the opposition altogether, as stated by the president,” Mbowe said amid applause from the opposition bench and jeers from MPs representing the ruling CCM party.
When the prime minister finally responded to the question, he took the position of the deputy speaker by stating that he could not provide answers to questions that weren’t based on policy, while also strongly denying that President Majaliwa has ever mentioned, anywhere, a plan to kill the opposition by 2020.
It was Mbowe’s turn to ask a supplementary question, but he chose to dwell on his first question, this time challenging the premier to state whether he was ready to step down if evidence is brought to the august House of the president making such a statement in the past. Ackson again reminded him to stick to policy issues, and also told Majaliwa not to bother responding to the second question.
This only prompted opposition legislators to start booing incessantly and repeating old accusations of Ackson’s high-handed style of running parliamentary business. After her pleas for them to keep quiet fell on deaf ears, the deputy speaker turned to Mbowe again, imploring him to intervene for the sake of restoring peace. Said Ackson: “Honourable Mbowe, please calm your people down because it is like you are the only person they want to listen to here.
” This remark caused more shouting, amid laughter from the CCM side of the debating chambers. A female opposition MP who could not be immediately identified shouted “No one has people here…..shut up!” as her colleagues kept banging the tables.
The drama went on for about 10 more minutes, chewing up the bigger part of the PM question-and-answer session. When things cooled down, Mbowe - who still had the chance to ask a supplementary question – accused Ackson of failing to understand the opposition camp’s pain.
But the deputy speaker retorted: “Your aim is to get the prime minister to resign...this is a constitutional and not policy matter”. In the end, Ackson seemed to have saved the day for Majaliwa, who ended up not offering any further response to the opposition leader.
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