After trading of swipes and insults earlier on Wednesday, the National Assembly last night degenerated into an ugly drama that witnessed opposition Chief Whip Mr Tundu Lissu and five other Chadema MPs getting marching orders from the Deputy Speaker, Mr Job Ndugai, for foul and disorderly conduct.
Tundu Lissu
Also kicked out from the House were Arusha Urban MP, Godbles Mr Lema, Highness Kiwia (Ilemela), Ezekia Wenje (Nyamagana), Rev Peter Msigwa (Iringa Urban) and Joseph Mbilinyi (Mbeya Urban).
It all started at about 07:35pm when Iramba West MP, Mr Mwigulu Nchemba (CCM) was making his contribution to the budget estimates of the President’s Office (Public Service Management) for the 2013/2014 financial year.
Mr Lissu rose on several occasions either on point of information or the Chair’s guidance, while other MPs were making contributions and the trend irked Mr Ndugai, who expressed concern and demanded Mr Lissu to stop obstructing the proceedings.
|Why is it that you always want to interrupt others while they are debating the budget is it because you’re an MP for the first time? “I thus order you out of the debating chamber,” Mr Ndugai said as he ordered sergeants-at-arms in to pull him out.
Mr Lissu did not heed to the order and he was supported by fellow Chadema MPs who were trying to block those who were taking him out.
“I also order that you will be out of the National Assembly for five days,” the Deputy Speaker said after the MP failed to heed to the first order.
At this juncture, the fracas ensued and Mr Ndugai also slapped the five-day ban on the other MPs who were trying to block Mr Lissu’s expulsion.
Due to the confrontation and given the fact that there were less than ten minutes before the end of the session, Mr Ndugai adjourned the session to today.
By ALVAR MWAKYUSA, Tanzania Daily News
