Opposition refuses to table ‘altered’ alternative budget in Parliament

Dodoma. The shadow minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Mr Joseph Mbilinyi, has refused to read the alternative budget, claiming that the National Assembly Speaker’s office altered the original copy by 80 per cent.

Mr Mbilinyi alias Sugu said today, April 18, in Parliament that the budget contained several pertinent issues, which the Speaker’s office decided to omit.

This happened a few seconds after Mr Mbilinyi had climbed to the dais and started reading his speech, when the Deputy Speaker, Dr Tulia Ackson, ordered the Parliament's Clerk to give Mr Mbilinyi the altered report.

However, the firebrand Mbeya Urban legislator refused to read the highly altered report from the Speaker’s Office, prompting Dr Tulia to stop him.

“Honourable deputy speaker this speech you want me to read has been altered by more than 80 per cent. Most of the Opposition’s recommendations were omitted, so what I am now forced to read here is a different report.”

As Mr Mbilinyi insisted that he should continue to read the original report, the deputy Speaker decided that it should not be read and the house continue with business of the day.