Foreign Media: Opposition Snub Kikwete in a Walkout in Parliament

[MAMA POROJO]

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tanzania's members of parliament from the main opposition Chadema party, Thursday snubbed President Jakaya Kikwete when they walked out from the House as he took the podium to deliver the parliament's inaugural speech. Observers interpreted the party's action as a direct message that it maintains its stance of not recognizing Kikwete as president on the grounds that he had been returned to power through a rigged election that was held 31 October.

Chadema's secretary general Willbrod Slaa, who came second in the presidential race, said his party had decided not to recognize Kikwete since the law did not allow anybody to challenge the poll results after they were announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

'I wrote to the NEC before the results were announced, voicing our concern about irregularities in the election process but the commission ignored what I pointed out. We are, therefore, left with no choice but to reject the results and not recognize Kikwete as president,' he said.

In his address, Kikwete underlined the importance of national cohesion, the respect for the rule of law and the respect for the people's rights, irrespective of their different religious creed, political affiliation, colour, ethnic communities or gender.

Pana 19/11/2010

 

[seniorita]

thanks for the post; good

 

[Njowepo]

Tanzanian opposition party members walk out on President

 

[Dingswayo]

Tanzanian opposition party members walk out on President

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Tanzania's members of parliament from the main opposition Chadema party, Thursday snubbed President Jakaya Kikwete when they walked out from the House as he took the podium to deliver the parliament's inaugural speech. Observers interpreted the party's action as a direct message that it maintains its stance of not recognizing Kikwete as president on the grounds that he had been returned to power through a rigged election that was held 31 October.

Chadema's secretary general Willbrod Slaa, who came second in the presidential race, said his party had decided not to recognize Kikwete since the law did not allow anybody to challenge the poll results after they were announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

'I wrote to the NEC before the results were announced, voicing our concern about irregularities in the election process but the commission ignored what I pointed out. We are, therefore, left with no choice but to reject the results and not recognize Kikwete as president,' he said.

In his address, Kikwete underlined the importance of national cohesion, the respect for the rule of law and the respect for the people's rights, irrespective of their different religious creed, political affiliation, colour, ethnic communities or gender.

Dar es Salaam - Pana 19/11/2010

 

[nyaronga]

Tena huwa wanapata kabla hata mtu anaeishi maeneo mengi vijijini tanzania hajapata, na hata kuna wengi dodoma pale hawajaipata hii, so, usishangae.

 

[Quinine]

Mbona habari zimesha sambaa sana

Tanzania opposition to push for reform: News24: Africa: News

 

[Ndibalema]

Sasa hivi dunia ni kama kijiji.
Na ni moja ya sababu ya jk jana kuacha domo wazi kwa mshangao kwani alijua 'mabos' wake wa Ulaya tayari washajua kinachoendelea nchini.

 

[Kishongo]

Very soon we will be talking another story when it starts to bite. Imeanza kula kwa Chadema.

For sure this was an uncivilized political move.

 

[Dingswayo]

Mbona habari zimesha sambaa sana

Tanzania opposition to push for reform: News24: Africa: News

Dar es Salaam - Tanzania's main opposition party said on Friday it would push for reforms of the country's electoral system after walking out of parliament during the president's speech to protest disputed elections.

The opposition said the October 31 vote was heavily rigged in favour of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and want an independent electoral commission and constitutional amendments to allow presidential election results challenged in court.

President Jakaya Kikwete, who won re-election for a second and final term in office by 61%, delayed his speech for a few minutes on Thursday as lawmakers from Chadema party, which makes up the official opposition camp, marched out.

"The decision to walk out was made in line with our decision not to recognise results of the presidential election," Chadema's parliamentary chief whip, Tundu Lissu, told Reuters.

"We have reasons to believe that the results of the presidential vote were heavily rigged in favour of the incumbent president."

Chadema, whose presidential candidate Willibrod Slaa garnered 26% of the vote, said it would snub meetings officiated by the president.

Legal consequences

Under the constitution, parliamentary and local council results can be challenged in the courts but final presidential results as announced by the National Electoral Commission cannot be challenged.

"The only legal recourse left is to register our displeasure and walk out. We know our action may not have any legal consequences, but we will not give legitimacy to the deeply flawed election process," Lissu said.

"We will hit the road and streets of Tanzania. We will explain to the people of Tanzania what happened."

Independent election observers said the electoral commission and government officials openly favoured the ruling party during the election process.

Lawmakers from the ruling CCM party, which has a two-third majority in the 335-seat parliament, heckled Chadema legislators as they walked out of parliament.

Members of parliament from other opposition parties did not join Chadema in the walk out.

One analyst said Tanzania's constitution, which was written more than three decades ago when the east African country was under one-party rule, had become obsolete. "I think the need for a new constitution is more scaled up now than at any other time in the country's history," political commentator Deus Kibamba said in a phone interview with Reuters.

Major changes

"To avoid a political crisis, the government should start the process of writing a new constitution that will take into consideration all the major changes that have occurred in Tanzania, including the introduction of multi-party politics in 1992."

In his speech on Thursday, Kikwete urged political leaders to work together to heal wounds that emerged after the election.

He outlined priorities of his government in the next five years, which include boosting economic growth, investing in agriculture, infrastructure and improving access to social services such as education, water and electricity.

He said his government would add 640 MW of electricity to the national power grid by 2015.

East Africa's second largest economy has energy demand close to 900 MW capacity, but produces less than 800 MW. Only 14% of its 40 million people are hooked to the grid, while demand grows by 10 to 15 percent annually.


- Reuters

 

[Kaa la Moto]

Makubwaaaaaaaaa message sent. Lakini si ustaadhi kasema hata msemeje yeye ndiye rais wa nchi hii? Kaongeza zaidi kuwa mnasahau kwamba alijipa urais mwenyewe?
Huu ni mchezo wa serikali zote za CCM bara na Visiwani.

 

[Eeka Mangi]

Very soon we will be talking another story when it starts to bite. Imeanza kula kwa Chadema.

For sure this was an uncivilized political move.

Kuna saa huwa najiuliza kama watu hutumia kautashi kadogo walikopewa na muumba wao. Imeanza kula kwa CHADEMA kivipi? Hujui kinachoendelea kaa kimya. Sio lazima uandike p**ba hapa!

 

[Lyangalo]

Very soon we will be talking another story when it starts to bite. Imeanza kula kwa Chadema.

For sure this was an uncivilized political move.

Ninyi ndo wakuchapwa viboko.

 

[Kigogo]

Very soon we will be talking another story when it starts to bite. Imeanza kula kwa Chadema.

For sure this was an uncivilized political move.

we kweli uko nyuma sana kimtazamo..baki na ccm yenu waache chadema na hiyo unayosema imekula kwao

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Very soon we will be talking another story when it starts to bite. Imeanza kula kwa Chadema.

For sure this was an uncivilized political move.

Umejuaje kuwa imeanza kula kwa Chadema? Au ndiyo umeanza kujitungia hadithi za alinacha...................

 

[myhem]

As far as i know kikwete,i dont think he even care about that.
What jk and ccm will do is to use tiss and other means to soften the opposition.
Chadema must present this matter to the international community giving them evidences of what happened during the election.

 

[MWEEN]

Very soon we will be talking another story when it starts to bite. Imeanza kula kwa Chadema.

For sure this was an uncivilized political move.

Can anyone tell us how many aliases Malaria Sugu has?? We may be arguing with a a specimen fit for Mirembe!

 

[seniorita]

Vibaraka hao wa ccm, waache tu, hawana msimamo kwani mtu anayetumia lini katumia his/her own reasoning capacity? They operate under the blind guidance of those who hired them

 

[Donyongijape]

Nimependa namna habari zao zilivyoandikwa,wameandika kinachopaswa kuandikwa ambacho waandishi wa bongo huwa hawafanyi! JK hakuwa na jipya la kutikisa katika hotuba ya jana,vyote ni vilevile...the big ishu wa CDM walkout,what caused it and what might be the consequences to ccm,cdm and the government,but most of newspapers za kibongo zimekava kiduuchuu na kujimwaga na ahadi za mkwere..keroo!

 

[Gurudumu]

Can anyone tell us how many aliases Malaria Sugu has?? We may be arguing with a a specimen fit for Mirembe!

Uuuuuuuuuuuwiiiii!!!!! Specimen fit for mirembe?

 

[Membensamba]

I believe chadema sent an important message not only to Kikwete and the national electoral commission, but to the whole world. The electoral commission erred seriously when it ignored a protest from chadema on the irregularities it claimed to have seen in the electoral process. They should have at least given them an ear as they were taking part in the election. What if it the complaints had come from ccm, would they have ignored it the same way? We know they would not. So they knew what they were doing when they insisted on announcing incorect results.

Under such circumstances, should any one be supprised that chadema refuses to recognize the legitimacy of Kikwete's seat? I just can'nt understand how in the world any thinking person can condemn chadema's walk out on Kikwete!