Chadema at a crossroads over defiant lawmakers

Dodoma. Ten Chadema lawmakers have put the main opposition party at a crossroads after defying a directive of boycotting the remaining parliamentary sessions to avoid more spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Recently, Chadema national chairman Freeman Mbowe directed all party legislators to stop attending the parliamentary sessions and refrain from going close to the National Assembly buildings for fear of contacting the deadly virus, which has so far killed 16 people in Tanzania, with hundreds still receiving treatment.
Nonetheless, the 10 lawmak-ers have continued attending the Bunge sessions, which are dominated by the ruling party, CCM, a move which attracted different views.
And yesterday, Momba Constituency MP David Silinde decided to tender a resignation letter as the shadow minister for Industry and Trade.
Mr Silinde also resigned from being the party’s parliamentarians secretary, saying political parties were mere sponsors who could be changed.
The MP made the decision on Monday, few days after Mr Joseph Selasini (Rombo) and Anthony Komu (Moshi Rural) announced that they would join NCCR-Mageuzi after their term in parliament expires later this year.
Responding to the MPs defiance, Mr Mbowe said yester-day that the lawmakers would be discussed in the party’s meetings for indiscipline.
Apart from Mr Silinde, other lawmakers are; Peter Lijualika-li (Kilombero), Jaffar Michael (Moshi Urban), Selasini, Komu and Special Seats MPs; Cesilia Pareso, Latifa Chande, Joyce Sokombi, Mariam Msabaha and Suzan Masele.
They all attended the parlia-mentary sessions on Monday and Tuesday.Speaking to The Citizen, Mr Silinde said he could not betray the people who voted for him during the 2015 elections.
He said Mr Mbowe’s advice for 14-days self-quarantine was good, but lacked sense as they would rejoin colleagues who continued attending the sitting, turning the isolation meaningless.
According to him, he will seek sponsorship of another political party in the forth-coming elections, if he is to be denied by Chadema.
“I have responded to the party’s chief whip message requiring me to resign from my positions by tendering my res-ignation letter to her, secretary general and leader of opposi-tion in parliament,” he said.
Ms Ester Bulaya’s message circulated on social media sup-ported the opposition MPs’ proposal demanding Mr Sil-inde to step down from his positions.
But, Mr Mbowe said it was unfortunate that the MPs have found allowances better than their health, that of their families and fellow leaders in the party.
He said the MPs violated collective responsibility made for the interest of MPs, noting that the decision pressed for two major issues.
Mr Mbowe named the two issues as demand to suspend the sessions and make major adjustment of the budget to accommodate economic recession caused by Covid-19.“Also, the decision intended to hold the government accountable and table a supplementary budget specifically for fighting the killer virus,” he