Bunge committee set to discuss whether no-show MPs deserve payment

MASATO MASATO in Dodoma

THE absence of opposition MPs in the debating chamber here is set for deliberation by the Parliamentary Rights, Ethics and Privileges Committee to determine if the absconding legislators deserve allowances.

Deputy National Assembly Speaker Tulia Ackson, responding to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister Harrison Mwakyembe, promised to forward the matter to Mr George Mkuchika, who chaired the committee, for deliberation and verdict.

Dr Mwakyembe, in his request for the Speaker’s guidance, quoted a number of sections of the parliamentary rules, questioning the rationale of having MPs who enter the debating chamber just for registration and then quit, yet get rewarded as those toiling for the .

The minister also queried whether the Bunge administration was adhering to the parliamentary rules on the suspended MPs who should be barred from entering the parliamentary grounds and receive only half salaries and allowances.

“We cannot afford having people who enter in parliament just to press the attendance buttons and then leave to rest… what right do they have to get paid,” queried Dr Mwakyembe.

The Mkuchika committee will sit just few days after it last Monday issued a verdict that expelled seven opposition MPs from the House for periods ranging between ten sessions and two meetings.

Chadema legislators Tundu Lissu (Singida East) and Esther Bulaya (Bunda Urban) were suspended from attending the remaining third and fourth meetings.

The parliamentary disciplinary organ also convicted all opposition MPs of unethical conduct and proposed a stern warning to them.

Other convicts were Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma Urban-ACTWazalendo), Godbless Lema (Arusha Urban-Chadema), Halima Mdee (Kawe-Chadema) and Pauline Gekul (Babati Urban-Chadema), who will remain outside the debating chamber for the remaining sessions of the ongoing budget session; and John Heche (Tarime Rural-Chadema), who was barred from attending ten sessions.

However, the opposition legislators had since Monday evening boycotted all sessions presided over by Dr Ackson whom they accuse of malevolence against the opposition.

On Tuesday, they absconded the question-answer session but attended the foreign affairs’ budget presentation after the Deputy Speaker handed over the chair to Andrew Chenge.

But, on Wednesday Dr Tulia stayed on, compelling the opposition MPs to escape the entire sessions of the day, missing the presentation, debate and ultimate passing of the Ministry of Finance and Planning budget.

For the past three days, CCM lawmakers in the House have been raising up for the Speaker’s guidance on the fate of allowance payments to their opposition counterparts whom they accuse of pocketing allowances for merely roaming the streets of the designated capital