Msigwa trashes 80pc of current MPs

Rev Peter Msigwa, Iringa Urban MP (Chadema) speaks during his tour at Mwananchi Communications Ltd (MCL) offices at Tabata Relini in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Only 20 per cent of 9th Parliament MPs qualify for re-election, he says. PHOTO | EDWIN MJWAHUZI 

By Mkinga Mkinga,The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• He pointed to the alliance by the three main opposition parties under ‘Ukawa’ and what he termed as a ‘split’ within the ruling CCM.

Dar es Salaam. The Iringa Urban MP Rev Peter Msigwa (Chadema) yesterday said the opposition camp was looking forward to a record performance on the forthcoming General Election.

He pointed to the alliance by the three main opposition parties under ‘Ukawa’ and what he termed as a ‘split’ within the ruling CCM. 

Speaking during an interview with The Citizen when he visited  Mwananchi Communications Ltd offices in Dar es Salaam, Rev Msigwa was optimistic that Ukawa would  prove to be a coalition that is free from sectarian interests.

Ukawa is an alliance that brought together Chadema, CUF, NCCR-Mageuzi and NLD. The parties are working on an arrangement to field and support single candidate  in the forthcoming elections  so as not to divide the opposition votes.

“We have every reason to win this coming General Election, we have demonstrated it in the civic elections...this year’s elections will be very interesting because we’re not competing with an incumbent president,” Rev Msigwa said.

He said the 2015 elections would be very different, more so given the Opposition MPs’ splendid performance in the august House.

According to the Iringa Urban legislator, who is also the  shadow minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, only 20 per cent of the 354 MPs in the 9th Parliament (2010-15) deserve qualify to for re-election, the rest don’t have the requisite qualities to be  in Dodoma after the October polls.

“In Parliament we discuss very crucial issues but only a  handful MPs can fully participate. 

“Sometimes we have been going abroad for official trips and some of my colleagues cannot even take part in discussion and they end up doing is  shopping,” Rev Msigwa said.

Commenting on the ongoing voters registration through Biometric Voters Registry (BVR), the MP said he was not convinced that the government has enough funds for the project. He said the current voters’ registration  in Njombe has exposed the inefficiency of BVR.

“There has been a lot of shortcomings in the ongoing voter registration in Njombe…..I think the government was not prepared for this important exercise,” he said

However, he commended the minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu for stepping up efforts to fight poaching  in the country.