Parliament sinks to new low as MPs fight with security officers

Dodoma. Opposition MPs and members of Parliament security team exchanged blows as the august House degenerated into a theatre of chaos yesterday.

Parliament’s debating chamber was turned into a boxing arena when the Sergeant at Arms attempted to forcibly throw out the Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe, as ordered by Deputy Speaker Job Ndugai. Mr Ndugai ordered that the Chadema supremo be kicked out for disregarding his orders to sit down. Mr Mbowe was protesting the move by the Deputy Speaker to bar him from moving a motion to block continuation of the debate on the Bill for Amendment of the Constitutional Review Act 2013.

Chaos soon ensued on the floor as other opposition MPs rushed to form a human shield around Mr Mbowe to prevent the security men from throwing him out.

For about 30 minutes, business came to a standstill with the two parties sizing and roughing up each other. The picture that unravelled in the glare of television cameras was akin to the drama associated with notoriously rowdy parliament chambers around the world, especially in the former USSR states and the Far East.

Egged on by ruling party MPs and with Ndugai losing his patience, the sentries moved with the aim to force Mr Mbowe out. However, their move ignited a free-for-all brawl and the House got engulfed in an unprecedented physical confrontation between Honourable Members of the august House.

One of the officers punched Joseph Mbilinyi (Mbeya Urban-Chadema) in his face and another pushed to the ground Moses Machali (Kasulu Urban-NCCR-Mageuzi).

As the push and pull intensified, the group walked out in a huff trailed by the hawk-eyed security men.

More drama would unfold outside the chamber as Mbilinyi sought to revenge against the officer who punched him. Mr Mbilinyi ran towards the officer and head-butted him before they were quickly separated. Earlier, a total of 156 MPs voted against the withdrawal of the Bill and 59 supported it.

The mood for the ugliness which was to later unfold was set in the morning when, during the PM’s question and answer session, Mr Mbowe beseeched the government to withdraw the Bill and consult further over the amendments. But Premier Mizengo Pinda maintained that the government had no powers against a decision that is under the mandate of the Parliament.

Mr Mbowe’s appeal came only a day after the opposition MPs marched out – on Wednesday – over the same matter.

They feel the Bill bears flaws that could derail the constitutional review process.

“No one sees the importance of withdrawing this Bill, but the matter can be discussed in due course and an agreement could be reached here,” Mr Pinda said.

But Mr Mbowe, however, maintained that there was a major division among key stakeholders on the changes being sought. He accused some CCM MPs of mocking and insulting others over the debate.

Mr Tundu Lissu, the opposition chief whip, yesterday protested that the Parliamentary Committee on Constitution, Justice and Governance did not collect views from Zanzibar.

However, Ms Pindi Chana, the chairperson of the committee, insisted that Isles stakeholders were invited to give their views when Mr Lissu was absent..

Reported by Bernard Lugongo and Elisha Magolanga

But Mr Lissu said the committee did not talk to those it had indicated and that the visit to Zanzibar was cancelled on security grounds.

Other areas in the Bill that the Opposition protested against were proposal for the President to appoint members of the Constituent Assembly who are not MPs and Zanzibar House of Representatives.

Also, the MPs were opposed to having 604 Constituent Assembly members; they want 792.

They also want equal representation by both the Mainland and Zanzibar who in the current structure will only have 219 members or 36 per cent of the assembly.

During yesterday’s debate, Ali Khamis Seif (Mkoani-CUF) also sought the Deputy Speaker’s guidance on the withdrawal of the Bill until the two parties of the union are properly involved.

Attorney General Mr Frederick Werema noted that the Bill was sent to the Zanzibar’s Second Vice President’s Office in May and necessary inputs were made.

Meanwhile, the Opposition MPs called a press conference late yesterday and said they would not participate in full today’s House sessions.

“We shall only be there for the question and answer slot in the morning and when the debate on the Constitutional Amendment Bill discussions resumes, we’ll walk out,” said Mr Mbowe.