Chadema boycotts Bunge sessions as third MP dies

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, yesterday directed all its parliamentarians, to, among other things, stop attending parliamentary sessions and parliamentary committees amid Covid-19 threat.

In its statement sent to the media signed by its chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, the party also directed its members not to go close to the two parliamentary buildings, both in Dodoma and Dar es Salaam as a way of avoiding infections.

“The party has continued to receive with deep sadness the deaths of parliamentarians and other Tanzanians as the deadly virus continues to spread... We direct all of our members to self-isolate for not less than two weeks,” reads the statement in part.

“We urge our parliamentarians in Dodoma not to go to their constituencies, rather they should remain in Dodoma (in the quarantine) until proven safe and or to receive any other formal instructions,” the statement adds.

In addition, the party urged all other parliamentarians from other political parties to reflect on whether it was still safe to continue with parliamentary sessions in the existing environment.

In this regard: “We want the parliament to take necessary steps including suspension of parliamentary activities for 21 days to allow parliamentarians and all workers in the parliament to quarantine themselves,” it states.

The statement further provides that medical tests should be carried out to all parliamentarians, workers and their families to determine how many are already infected with the virus so that appropriate measures can be taken.

The statement reads: “Specific parliamentary committees, particularly the parliamentary services committee and the steering committee, can conduct their meetings online, in order to make important decisions about the administration of parliament and ensure that important issues are discussed.”

After being asked by The Citizen about the opposition parliamentarians’ decision, Speaker Job Ndugai said that on Monday they will explain how they will proceed with sessions and what action to be taken.

“We will give our details on Monday to parliamentarians about what we will do and how we are going to conduct our activities…since we started we have taken various steps and on Monday we will explain how we are doing,” said Mr Ndugai.

“The MP has the right to resign and not even to enter parliament, I don’t have a rule for dealing with them apart from just wishing them the best of luck…”

He added: “You know it’s good to sit and talk with your colleagues but for them, they’re good at using media networks. It is difficult to deal with such people. However, they haven’t broken any rule, so I can only wish them all the best.”