Tundu Lissu, Masha seek role in TLS election petition
Both are vying for the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) presidency. Speaking during a press conference yesterday, Mr Lissu said the two lawyers - Mr Geofrey Wasonga and Mr Onesmo Mpinzile - plan to file petitions at the Dodoma High Court Registry and at the Dar es Salaam High Court Registry respectively to block the election. The election is scheduled for Arusha at the end of next week.
Mr Lissu said the two lawyers (Mr Wasonga and Mpinzile) were opposed to the election basing their arguments on the 2016 TLS election regulations, which were signed by former TLS president Charles Rwechungura, while the law required the seating president, Mr John Seka, to do so. The Singida East MP accused them of being used by those, who wanted to kill TLS. “We will ask the court to join us in the defence in the petition because we fear that the current TLS leaders and the AG Office, who are the first and second respondents, will easily concede to the petition,” Mr Lissu hinted.
Mr Masha said if the two lawyers had no ill intention towards TLS they would have used procedures stipulated under the law, which established TLS to air their concerns. He added that under the law, which established TLS, the two lawyers should have filed their objection against the election to TLS secretariat.
The objection would have been discussed on the first day of TLS annual general meeting on March 17, a day before the election. The former minister for Home Affairs reiterated that neither he nor Mr Lissu were driven by political agendas to vie for the TLS presidency. Mr Masha added that he was very disappointed at the threats by minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, made recently, to amend the law, which established TLS to disband it for allegedly being involved in political activism. Mr Masha said the law, which established TLS doesn’t bar anyone, who is a member or a leader of certain political party to vie for a leadership position at TLS.