ALLEGATIONS that President Jakaya Kikwete is the architect of religious bigotry in the country were yesterday dismissed in the National Assembly as baseless and “utterly absurd.”
Ministers of State in the President’s Office rose in turns in the House saying claims that Dr Kikwete favours Muslims were not true and totally unfounded. Professor Mark Mwandosya, a minister without portfolio, told the House there were four ministers of state in the presidency and all of them were Christians.
Other ministers are Mr George Mkuchika (Good Governance), Ms Celine Kombani (Public Service Management) and Stephen Wasira (Relations and Co-ordination).
“It is so unfortunate that we are discussing religious issues now. We have lived for many years as brothers and sisters,” said Prof Mwandosya, when contributing to debate on the 2013/2014 budget estimates for the President’s Office (Public Service Management).
“You cannot say the president is the problem and an architect of religious bigotry, while it is a known fact that he is alaways pushing for tolerance among all Tanzanians of different creeds,” he explained.
Prof Mwandosya said apart from four Christian ministers, there were many high ranking officials in the State House. “I believe it is the Satan who is behind all these problems at present,” he added.
He also took issues with the opposition for divulging security and intelligence information, saying such a practice reflected highest order of irresponsibility. “There is no country in this world where intelligence matters are discussed in the open, not even United States or Israel,” he complained, referring to a speech by the Shadow Minister for the Official Opposition, Prof Kulikoyela Kahigi (Bukombe-Chadema).
Prof Kahigi was earlier forced to retract some pages in his speech which had named and accused officials of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS) for allegedly torturing some people who are opposed to the government. Mr Wasira expressed concern over criticisms directed personally to President Kikwete, saying Presidency is an institution and is not being run single handedly.
He said principal advisors of the president included the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda and the Chief Secretary, Mr Ombeni Sefue. Both of them are Chistrians. “On appointment of ministers, regional and district commissioners, the President consults Mr Pinda, while on appointment of top civil servants including permanent secretaries, he consults Ambassador Sefue.
Where does this theory of religious favourtism come from?” he wondered. Debating the budget estimates on Wednesday evening, Arusha Urban MP, Mr Godbless Lema (Chadema), accused President Kikwete and CCM of instigating religious problems in the country.
He went as far as referring to the president by name claiming that he was the architect of the country’s prevailing religious crises. The Deputy Speaker, Mr Job Ndugai, who was chairing the session, asked the MP to present proof of his claims within seven days to the office of the Speaker.
Attorney General Fredrick Werema and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs), Mr William Lukuvi, rose in turns on a point of order, saying the MP’s remarks against the Head of State were unbecoming, derogatory and utterly irreverent.
Mr Justice Werema and Mr Lukuvi strongly pleaded to the Deputy Speaker that Mr Lema should retract his disrepectful comments against the president. Mr Lema, with a backing of Opposition Chief Whip, Mr Tundu Lissu (Singida East-Chadema), refused to retract his statement and went on to accuse the government of allegedly failing to address religious skirmishes.
Meanwhile, Longido MP Michael Lekule Laizer (CCM) advised lawmakers across the political divide to avoid breaching standing orders of the National Assembly as doing so tarnishes the image of the august House. Mr Laizer, who is serving for a third term as an MP for Longido, made the call here on Wednesday evening while contributing to budget estimates for the President’s Office for the 2013/2014 financial year.
“I have never seen a National Assembly being unruly like this since the introduction of multiparty politics in the country,” the soft-spoken MP said. Adding; “We have had opposition MPs in the past including Freeman Mbowe (current leader of official opposition), James Mbatia (current chair of NCCR-Mageuzi) and Mr Mabere Marando among others but never seen a parliament where MPs repeatedly trade jibes, insults and using foul language”.
