MPs push for police reforms

Home Affairs minister Mathias Chikawe speak in Parliament yesterday.  PHOTO | EDWIN MJWAHUZI 

By The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• The House was, however, divided, with MPs from the ruling party, CCM, taking a different stance during debate of the outrage that followed police beating up and arresting Civic United Front national chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

Dodoma. Opposition MPs yesterday strongly called for review of policing laws in the country to tame brutality and injustice meted on.....................................................
innocent citizens.

The House was, however, divided, with MPs from the ruling party, CCM, taking a different stance during debate of the outrage that followed police beating up and arresting Civic United Front national chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

While the opposition condemned police brutality during the breaking of a CUF demonstration to commemorate the killings of 21 party supporters in Zanzibar in post-election protests in 2001, those from CCM appeared to blame opposition politicians for what befell Prof Lipumba.

The opposition leader and 30 other party members have since been charged in court with incitement and illegal assembly respectively.

The 30 supporters were arraigned yesterday as the Executive Secretary of the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance, Ms Mary Massay, told The Citizen that the agency has launched its own investigation into Tuesday’s incident.     

In Dodoma, House Speaker Anne Makinda allowed, amid tension, the debate of the motion sought on Wednesday by Mr James Mbatia, a nominated MP and NCCR-Mageuzi national chairman.

She allowed the debate even as the newly appointed Attorney general, Mr George Masaju, advised Parliament not to discuss the matter arguing that it was still pending in court.

When they took to the floor, opposition MPs proposed disciplinary actions against Prime Minister Mr Mizengo Pinda and the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Mathias Chikawe. Pinda was blamed for his earlier remarks in which he supported police beating up of demonstrators who disobeyed lawful orders.

But there was no firm resolution reached at the end of the debate, with Ms Makinda saying the Assembly’s main committee under her chairmanship will decide on the way forward on the motion.

The debate was kicked off by Mr Chikawe who told the Parliament that police arrested Mr Lipumba for ignoring police order banning the demonstration.

Mr Chikawe said, the 2001 incident cited by the opposition party was declared illegal. The minister also said, there was intelligence information that chaos or a terror attack could rock the march.

Mr Tundu Lissu (Singida East – Chadema) who spoke after Mr Chikawe and the AG, launched a severe criticism of the government and CCM, warning no one should gag the Parliament from raising the voice on the continued brutality.