Judiciary backed CUF legislators at crossroads

Prof Ibrahim Lipumba Civic United Front (CUF) National Chairman

The House said it doesn’t recognize the eight MPs on the opposition CUF. Clerk of the National Assembly Stephen Kigaigai admitted to have received a CUF letter, informing him about the High Court of Tanzania verdict that nullified the dismissal of the eight members of the opposition party.

CUF National Chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba in July stripped the eight MPs of their party membership, accusing them of gross misconduct. The fired MPs on special seats were Severina Silvanus Mwijage, Saum Heri Sakala,Salma Mohamed Mwassa and Riziki Shahari Ngwali.

Other evictees are Raisa Abdallah Mussa, Miza Bakari Haji, Hadja Salum Ally and Halima Ali Mohamed. The parliamentary stance follows CUF letter to the Clerk, requiring him to inform Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai about the High Court ruling.

According to the letter that CUF wrote to the Clerk, the Speaker ought to reinstate the eight legislators whom the party described as “Legitimate MPs.” Speaking to Habari Leo, the Daily News’ sister newspaper, Mr Kigaigai admitted receiving the CUF letter but insisted that parliament will not recognise the judiciary backed legislators who lost their seats after being stripped of their memberships.

“Yes, I have received the letter from CUF and I have started working on it... but, let me tell you in short that the House does not recognize them. We only know the new MPs who were sworn in in September after receiving their names from the National Electoral Commission (NEC),” Mr Kigaigai insisted.

He said the parliament works on the lists of legislators from the electoral body and not from their respective political parties. “Until now we have not received any new names from NEC legitimising the former list of eight CUF politicians as legitimate MPs,” he added.

After the eight MPs lost their seats in parliament after being stripped of their party membership mid July, NEC released a replacement list of eight legislators who were sworn in in September.

In the new list are Alfredina Apolinary Kahigi, Kiaza Hussein Mayeye, Nuru Awadhi Bafadhili, Rukia Ahmed Kassim, Shamsia Aziz Mtamba, Sonia Jumaa Magogo and Zainab Mndolwa Amir.

According to information availed to media by CUF official Riziki Mngwali on November 10, the High Court had ordered CUF not to involve in any discussion on the membership of the eight members.

The High Court also nullified the decision to strip them of their membership. “Such legal decision means that we are all bona fide CUF members and we deserve to continue serving as MPs,” she said, adding that on November 20, they had written the Clerk, asking him to pass the verdict information to the Speaker.

DAILY NEWS Reporter      29 November 2017