Battle for the soul of Parliament now shifts to deputy speaker

Dar es Salaam. The battle for leadership of Parliament now shifts to the position of the Deputy Speaker after the ruling CCM yesterday endorsed Mbeya Urban lawmaker Tulia Ackson as its nominee for the post of House Speaker.

Dr Ackson is the current Deputy Speaker but last week, she emerged as the first CCM loyalist to pick nomination forms to seek the ruling party’s endorsement to represent it in the race to succeed Mr Job Ndugai for the post of House Speaker.

Mr Ndugai, who is the Kongwa MP, resigned two weeks ago amid piling pressure from the ruling party loyalists following his remarks over worrying public borrowing.

CCM’s Central Committee, which met in Dodoma yesterday under the leadership of the party’s national chairperson Samia Suluhu Hassan had the option of picking up to three names and presenting them to a caucus of its MPs for voting before actual voting in Parliament.

But instead of keeping Tanzanians guessing on who of the three would finally carry the flag, the CC decided to shorten the process and came up with only one name - Tulia Ackson.

What happens next?

According to CCM nomination procedures for the Speaker’s position, a meeting of the party’s caucus meeting scheduled for January 31, in Dodoma will vote for Dr Ackson’s name before being voted or in Parliament on February 1, this year.

If confirmed, Dr Ackson would be the second female Speaker in the country’s hisotry after Ms Anne Makinda who led the House from November 10, 2010 to November 16, 2015.

However, she could get opposition from the opposition Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) candidate Maimuna Kassim who has collected nomination forms.

What did the party say?

For some analysts, the writing was on the wall for Tulia’s ascendancy.

Her appointment by former President Jakaya Kikwete on September 9, 2015 to become Deputy Attorney General becoming the second most high-ranking government legal officer behind the then Attorney General George Masaju gave her the kick-start.

And later her appointment immediately after the 2015 General Election as presidential nominated MP and later her nomination for the position of Deputy Speaker, next to Job Ndugai and Abdulla Mwinyi predicted that she was being prepared for more influential political positions in the country.

Regarding her age, if confirmed, Dr Ackson, who served as Deputy Speaker under Mr Ndugai since 2015 until her appointment as the party’s candidate has a long way to go in her political carrier.

What did she say at the State House?

Speaking at the Chamwino State House in Dodoma during the swearing in of ministers, deputies and permanent secretaries on January 10, 2022, Dr Ackson said people were making mistakes to compare the President and heads of other State pillars.

“They forget that despite being the head of Executive like heads of other pillars, the President is also the Head of State. It is very important to note this difference,” she said during a live televised event.

She pledged that Parliament would strongly cooperate with the government as well as ministers through the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

An analyst’s take

Speaking to The Citizen, independent political analyst, Deus Kibamba, said the January 10 speech made by Dr Ackson was delivered with highest level of confidence.

“She is not expected to face any serious opposition. A serious battle should be expected for the position of Deputy Speaker that has automatically remained vacant following the picking of Dr Ackson as Speaker’s candidate,” he said.

He said the election of Deputy Speaker was in accordance with Article 85 (1)(b) of the United Republic Constitution and Parliamentary Standing Orders. “The process will be competitive among CCM lawmakers, but I’m 100 percent sure that the person who will be confirmed for the position will be a male member from the ruling party,” he said.

According to him, the country was about to have two female heads of the three pillars of state (Executive and Parliament) with the Judiciary remaining under the leadership of a male leader.

CCM boast of the tyranny of numbers in Parliament, hence Tulia is likely the Speaker.