Parliament okays crucial parties bill

Parliament yesterday endorsed the Political Parties (Amendment Act), 2018 bill, two weeks after an attempt to block it from being tabled in the House by Opposition leaders flopped at the High Court in Dar es Salaam. 

According to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment Youth and the Disabled), Jenista Mhagama, the government had considered views from stakeholders prior to tabling of the bill.

There was a tug-of-war between the opposition lawmakers and those from the ruling CCM, as the former insisted that if passed by Members of Parliament, the bill would curtail democracy in the country.

But all CCM legislators who debated the bill showered praise on the government for coming up with the bill, saying it was long overdue and that by passing it, the country would open a new chapter of democracy within all registered political parties in the country.

There has been mounting pressure from opposition leaders and activists in the country over the amendment of the legislation, with majority of them saying, among other things, that the registrar of political parties had been given huge discretionary powers that were likely to kill democracy in the country.

Some opposition leaders led by ACT Wazalendo party leader Zitto Kabwe went ahead to file a petition in court to block the bill from being tabled in parliament for the second and third reading.

However, on January 14, the high court rejected the constitution petition on the grounds that it lacked merits.

In the petition, the petitioners had requested the court to declare the Bill for amendments of the Political Parties (Amendments) Act, 2018, published as Special Bill Supplement in the Gazette of the United Republic of Tanzania on October 16, 2018 unconstitutional, null and void.

But Judge Benhajj Masoud ruled against the ACT-Wazalendo Party Leader , CUF Deputy Secretary General (Mainland) Joran Bashange and his Director of Communications Salum Bimani, upholding two grounds of objections by the Attorney General (AG). 

Tabling the bill for the second and third reading in the House yesterday, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment Youth and the Disabled), Jenista Mhagama said the government had incorporated several crucial amendments that were proposed by a parliamentary Committee on Justice and Constitution after the committee collected views from all stakeholders.

According to the minister, in the new proposed amendments, any person or institution inside or outside the country with an intention to provide civic education to political parties will now be required by law to notify the registrar of political parties in a bid to monitor the education provided and encourage patriotism, national unity and avoid education that is likely to sow seeds of discord and eventually disrupt the country’s peace.

In the proposed amendments, political parties will now be compelled to abide by both the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania and that of Zanzibar, observe gender balance and consider disability groups.

If the bill is endorsed, anyone who wants to establish and register a political party will have to be a citizen of Tanzania and his/her parents should possess Tanzanian citizenship. The new section triggered a fierce debate in parliament yesterday with the opposition spokesperson and Kawe MP Halima Mdee saying it was unconstitutional.

Plus, political parties will now be required to submit to the registrar, their parties’ register that will include the register of national party leaders and those of the board of trustees so as to enable the office of the registrar to have all crucial information of political parties.

Section 8E in the new amendments has banned political parties from having security guards and refrain from conducting security training so as to avoid parties from interfering with the country’s security organs.

In the new amendments, the registrar can now conduct verification of political parties and parties will be required to submit to the registrar their declarations on income and expenditure.

During contributions yesterday, Mbinga MP Sixtus Mapunda (CCM) welcomed the new amendments, saying they would help in strengthening democracy within political parties and avoid some parties from being treated as Non-Governmental Organisations.

“This bill will help our parties that have been undemocratic for 26 years since the country was transformed into a multi-party democracy,’’ he remarked.

He was backed by Susan Kolimba (Special Seats-CCM) who said by having political parties’ registers of leaders and board of trustees submitted to the registrar, it was evident that good governance would be embraced within political parties.

But Kawe MP Halima Mdee was against the ban of security guards within political parties, saying the opposition parties had a benefit of doubt in the country’s security organs which she said were not neutral when it came to maintaining security to parties during elections.

She suggested that the provision which bans political parties from having their own security machineries be scrapped.