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| Sunday, 19 June 2011 |
| By Damas Kanyabwoya The Citizen Reporter Chadema yesterday demanded that Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda withdraws his statement that MPs' sitting allowance is spelt out in the Constitution.Mr Pinda said in Parliament last week that that MPs' sitting allowances were a constitutional issue.Responding to a question by Mr Habib Mnyaa (Mkanyageni-CUF), Mr Pinda said he was sure that with the exception of a handful of MPs, most Chadema MPs wanted the allowances. But Chadema official John Mnyika told a news conference that Mr Pinda's statement was misleading, saying the Constitution was non-committal on the matter. He said Article 73 of the Constitution stipulates that MPs are entitled to salaries, allowances and other payments as spelt out in the relevant law on parliamentary administration. Mr Mnyika added that the Constitution does not specify the kind of allowances to be paid to MPs. The law in question, the National Assembly Administration Act 2008, lists the types of allowances that should be paid to MPs and their aides. These allowances include transport and upkeep allowances. "The law in question does not mention sitting allowances. This is our point. Sitting allowances have no legal basis as long as MPs are also paid salaries," Mr Mnyika said. However, a subsection of the law gives the President discretionary powers to offer MPs any other types of allowances he deems fit. And it is through these powers that the President offered MPs sitting allowances in a presidential order no CAB111/338/01/83 signed on October 25, 2010 by Principal Secretary Philemon Luhanjo. Mr Mnyika said the Official Opposition would demand that Mr Pinda withdraws his statement that sitting allowances are constitutional. "If the Premier will not withdraw his statement or if the office of the Speaker does not offer an acceptable explanation as to how and when Bunge allowance reforms will be made, Chadema will convene a party caucus in accordance with parliamentary regulations," he said. The party will also demand that the PM withdraws his statement to the effect that the rejection of allowances is the agenda of a few Chadema MPs. "The Chadema Manifesto compiled in August 2010, says in Section 5.5.1 that all unnecessary allowances should be scrapped and be used for other uses, including improving civil servants welfare and on development projects," Mr Mnyika said. The manifesto gives examples on how the government, whose Budget depends heavily on donors, spends billions in allowances annually.In 2008/09, the government spent about Sh509 billion on allowances. This was equivalent to the annual wage bill of 109,000 teachers. In 2009/10, State House was allocated the largest amount of the allowance budget to the tune of Sh148 billion, followed by Parliament that spent Sh36 billion. "Chadema's stance on allowances is clear. Seminars, workshops, training and other meetings in places of work in government offices and departments, should not include sitting allowances," Mr Mnyika said. To that effect Chadema MPs have taken various steps, since November last year, to avoid the allowances. Some have written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to direct that the money be sent to the Constituency Funds in their respective districts to help fund development projects. "The malicious reports spread by the government showing that some Chadema MPs accept allowances should stop. All MPs attending the Bunge session should register their names, but that does not mean that they all take the allowances, as purported by the government," he said. Mr Mnyika said the government should, immediately, stop giving MPs sitting allowances as directed by the Development Plan (2011/12-2015/16). President Jakaya Kikwete signed the plan on June 7."We urge the President to rescind his order to offer MPs sitting allowances because it goes against the development plan that he signed himself," Mr Mnyika said. |
