Posts Tagged ‘cuf’

Kagoda scandal queries resurface in Bunge

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

 

By Mkinga Mkinga
The Citizen Reporter

Dodoma.

 

Queries over the outcome of the investigation on the involvement of Kagoda Agricultural Company Limited, one of firms named in the Central Bank’s External Payment Areas (EPA) account looting scandal, has resurfaced in the Parliament.

 

This time it was the Ubungo MP (Chadema), Mr John Mnyika, who raised the issues during the question and answer session in the House, challenging the government to state the status of the investigation.The company is alleged to be the single biggest beneficiary of funds looted from the Bank of Tanzania’s (BoT) external payment arrears (EPA) account after receiving dubious payments of more than Sh40 billion.

 

In his supplementary question, Mr Mnyika queried why no action has been taken so far against the company.
“I would like to know the progress on the said investigation on the Kagoda Company, which we were earlier told that it is also involving some international investigation agencies,” the MP asked the minister responsible for Good Governance, Mr Mathias Chikawe.

 

In his response, Mr Chikawe said the investigation was still going on. “The investigation is yet to be completed and once completed the suspects would be arraigned if there would be sufficient evidence,” he told the Parliament.On the other hand, Mr Chikawe informed MPs that the government was planning to compile a report on the pending grand corruption cases and table it before the Parliament.

 

Responding to a question by Wawi MP (CUF), Mr Hamad Rashid Mohammed, Mr Chikawe said most of the cases have stalled at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). In his question, Mr Hamad referred to the statement by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) chief, Dr Edward Hosseah, during a seminar for MPs in Dar es Salaam that the anti-graft watchdog has completed many investigations but the files are still pending at the DPP’s office.Despite admitting the delays, the minister pledged to bring the report before the end of the ongoing Parliamentary session in Dodoma.

 

Meanwhile, the parliamentary committee on Justice and Constitutional Affairs will conduct a public hearing tomorrow to collect views on the 2011 Constitutional Review Bill.According to the Parliament’s schedule of activities, MPs will only have two day to debate the crucial 2011 Constitution Review Bill, which has been scheduled for tabling on April 18.The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, told MPs that the hearing would be conducted in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, urging stakeholders to attend and present their views.

 

“I urged all stakeholders to show up for the hearings at Karimjee Hall in Dar es Salaam and Pius Msekwa hall in Dodoma. We have opted for two different venues due to the importance of the issue,” Ms Makinda said.
According to the minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ms Celina Kombani, the government would conduct campaign, jointly with non-governmental organisations, to educate the public on the current constitution to enable them present informed views.

 

Ms Kombani was responding to a question by Special Seats MP (CCM), Ms Fakharia Shomar Khamis, who wanted to know plans by the government to educate the public on the new bill.

 

In what appears to be the legislator’s quest for the public involvement in the process, Civic United Front (CUF) MPs, Mr Habib Mnyaa (Mkanyageni) and Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Sanya (Mji Mkongwe) challenged the Speaker over the exclusion of the Parliament office in Zanzibar as a venue for the public hearing.

 

“Honourable Speaker even the Zanzibaris have the same need to participate in the planned public hearing, since the Constitution is a union matter. Why has the Zanzibar office not been involved?” queried Mr Sanya.
In her response, Ms Makinda said the Zanzibar office has been asked to mobilise people to come over to Dar es Salaam for the hearing.

Wanasiasa wapinga muswada wa kurekebisha katiba

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Baadhi ya washiriki wa kongamano la pili la katiba lililofanyika katika Ukumbi wa Nrumah Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam jana, wakifutila mada mbali mbali wakati wa kongamano hilo. Picha na Joseph Zablon.

 

 

Elias Msuya na   Freddy Azzah
WAKATI serikali ikijiandaa kuwasilisha Muswada wa Marekebisho ya Katiba bungeni wiki ijayo, wanasiasa na wasomi wameupinga wakisema utawabana wananchi.Hata hivyo, wawakilishi wa CCM na UDP walionja joto la jiwe na kulazimika kukatisha hotuba zao, baada ya kuzomewa na washiriki wa Kongamano la kujadili Muswada wa Marekebisho ya Katiba lililofanyika Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam jana.

 

Viongozi wa vyama vya siasa vya upinzani na wanasheria walioshiriki kongamano hilo walipinga mfumo utakaotumiwa kwa maelezo kuwa unawanyima wananchi haki.Mwenyekiti wa Chadema, Freeman Mbowe, ambaye alishiriki katika kongamano hilo, alisema chama chake hakioni nia njema ya serikali katika kuunda katiba mpya, hivyo wataipinga bungeni na nje ya bunge. Chama hicho kimeapa kutumia maandamano kwa kile wanachokiita nguvu ya umma kuupinga muswada huo kama utapitishwa na Bunge kuwa sheria.

 

“Najua watu wanazungumzia amani, lakini tutaheshimu amani kama inajali maslahi ya wananchi…Tutapinga muswada huo bungeni na kama Bunge litaendeshwa kwa ushabiki, tutarudi kwa wananchi na majibu mtayaona,” alisema. Serikali inatarajia kuwasilisha muswada huo wiki ijayo bungeni, kwa hati ya dharura ili uweze kupitishwa.

 

Akihutubia taifa, Rais Jakaya Kikwete juzi alizungumzia suala la katiba mpya ikiwamo muswada huo.
Naye Mwakilishi wa Chadema katika kongamano hilo, Mabere Marando alisema muswada huo umedhihirisha kuwa Serikali haikuwa na nia ya kuleta katiba mpya bali kuifanyia marekebisho katiba ya sasa.

 

Alikosoa kifungu cha tano cha muswada huo kinachompa uwezo Rais kuunda Tume na kuipa hadidu za rejea.
“Kifungu cha tano kinampa uwezo Rais ambaye ni Mwenyekiti wa CCM akishauriana na Rais wa Zanzibar kuunda tume na kuteua wajumbe na kuwapa hadidu za rejea. Yaani viongozi wawili wa CCM ndiyo wawateue Watanzania Tume ya Katiba,” alisema Marando.

 

Mwakilishi NCCR
Naye Mkurugenzi wa Sheria wa Chama cha NCCR Mageuzi, Dk Sengondo Mvungi, alisema chama chake kimesikitishwa na muswada huo na kwamba watakaa na vyama vingine ili wapeleke hati ya marekebisho ya muswada kabla ya kujadiliwa bungeni.

 

“Nimepokea ushauri kutoka kwa Dk Slaa kwamba sasa inabidi tukae mkao wa uanaharakati ili kupinga muswada huo. Kwanza tutapeleka ‘schedule of amendment’ (hati ya marekebisho) ya muswada kabla haujajadiliwa,” alisema Dk Mvungi. Dk Mvungi alisema kuwa kilio cha Watanzania tangu mfumo wa vyama vingi uanzishwe nchini mwaka 1992 ni kuwa na katiba mpya, siyo marekebisho ya Katiba.

 

Mwakilishi wa CUF
Naye Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa CUF, Julius Mtatiro, alisema  chama chake kimesikitishwa na muswada huo na kuonya kuwa, kama serikali itaendelea nao Tanzania itaingia kwenye machafuko. “Tulipomsikia Rais Kikwete akitoa hotuba kwa tabasamu mwishoni mwa mwaka jana, tulidhani ana nia njema, kumbe muswada huo hauna hata chembe ya tabasamu. Umejaa vitisho vya kila aina, vitisho hivyo vya nini?” alihoji Mtatiro.

 

Mwakilishi  CCM azomewa
Hata hivyo, hali ya hewa katika kongamano hilo ilichafuka baada ya Mwakilishi wa CCM, Prince Bagenda kupanda jukwaani na kuanza kutoa maoni ya chama chake ambapo washiriki wa kongamano hilo walianza kumzomea kila alipoendelea kuzungumza.

 

Bagenda alikiri kwamba hoja ya Katiba haikuwa ya CCM, lakini akasema CCM ilikubali kwa kuwa Serikali huongozwa kwa maoni ya wananchi. Hata hivyo, Bagenda aliwakera watu aliposema suala la katiba haliji hivi hivi tu, bali wananchi wanapaswa kudai. “Msifikiri kila kitu mnapewa tu, lazima mdai,” alisema Bagenda huku akizomewa na washiriki wa kongamano hilo. Baadaye alishindwa kuendelea kutokana na kuzomewa licha ya Msimamizi wa kongamano hilo, Dk Kitila Mkumbo, kujaribu kuwatuliza watu bila mafanikio.

 

Cheyo wa UDP
Hali ilikuwa hivyohivyo kwa Mwenyekiti wa UDP ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Bariadi Mashariki, John Cheyo, ambaye alishindwa kuendelea na mada yake baada ya watu kuanza kumzomea. Cheyo alisema kuwa muswada huo bado haujawa sheria kwa hiyo hakuna haja ya kuulalamikia sana na kwamba ingawa watu wanaupinga kinachotakiwa kuzingatiwa ni amani.

 

Jaji Samata
Jaji Mkuu Mstaafu Barnabas Samata, alisema katiba ya sasa ina upungufu zaidi ya 100 na baadhi ya upungufu huo kuwa ni pamoja na katiba hiyo kutomhusisha Mungu. “Nchi yetu imetajwa na Katiba kuwa ni ‘circular’ (isiyo na dini) ila watu wake wana dini. Kuwa circular maana yake nchi hiyo iko kinyume na Mungu. Hakuna hata kifungu kimoja kinachomtaja Mungu, lakini kwenye wimbo wa Taifa tumemtaja Mungu mara nyingi tu,” alisema Jaji Samata.

 

Upungufu mwingine ni pamoja na Katiba kutoenzi waasisi wa taifa, Rais kuwa sehemu ya Bunge, kupewa madaraka makubwa, Bunge kuwa na nguvu kubwa, matokeo ya urais kutopingwa mahakamani, Rais kutokuwa na kikomo cha uteuzi wa mawaziri, nchi kutokuwa na itikadi maalumu ya siasa na kutokuwapo kwa mahakama ya Katiba.

 

Jaji Samata alitaka pia, kabla ya kuandikwa kwa katiba mpya vyama vya siasa vyote vikae na kupanga namna misingi ya siasa itakavyokuwa ili kuwezesha nchi kuongozwa kwa misingi ya katiba na siyo utashi wa kiongozi mwenyewe.Pia katika katiba inayotarajiwa kuandikwa, alisema rais asiwe sehemu ya Bunge ila ashirikishe tu pale panapohitajika ikiwa ni pamoja na kusaini sheria na kuhutubia Bunge akiwa kiongizi wan chi na siyo sehemu ya Bunge.

 

“Hali hiyo itatoa uhuru zaidi kwa bunge kufanya shughuli zake, lakini pia utatoa tatizo la mihimili ya dola kutoingiliana katika utendaji wake wa kazi,” alisema Jaji Samata.

 

Francis Kiwanga
Kwa upande wake, Mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Sheria na Haki za Biandamu, Francis Kiwanga, ambaye aliukosoa muswada huo akisema kuwa rais amepewa madaraka makubwa mno katika kuunda Tume ya Katiba.
Alisema sehemu ya tatu ya muswada huo inampa madaraka rais kuunda tume, kuunda baraza la katiba na kutoa hadidu za rejea. “Rais ni zao la katiba, hawezi kutengeneza Katiba chafu awape wananchi. Wananchi wameporwa mamlaka kwa kumfanya rais kama chombo cha kutengeneza Katiba,” alisema Kiwanga.

 

Profesa Shivji
Naye Profesa Issa Shivji alisema muswada huo una matatizo ya lugha, muundo, mantiki pamoja na kisiasa.
“Ukiusoma kwa umakini utaona unazungumzia mapitio ya katiba hii tuliyonayo na siyo kuandikwa kwa katiba mpya kama tunavyotaka,” anasema Profesa Shivij.Alisema maelezo ya muswada huo juu ya kuundwa kwa tume ya kukusanya maoni, kuundwa kwa Bunge la katiba na nani anayepaswa kukabidhiwa ripoti ya tume iliyokusanya maoni, vifungu vyote hivyo vina upungufu.