Lissu digs in as NEC announces poll date
Dar es Salaam. Former Singida East MP Tundu Lissu remained defiant yesterday saying he will seek legal recourse to reclaim his parliamentary seat after the National Electoral Commission (NEC) moved to announce a by-election date.
NEC issued a statement yesterday to call for the Sindida East by-election after receiving a letter from Parliament to inform them the parliamentary seat was vacant after Lissu lost the qualification to be MP.
NEC chairman Semistocles Kaijage said the by-election would be held on July 31, this year with political parties given 12 days to run their campaigns in 13 wards and 50 villages.
But defiant Lissu told The Citizen from Belgium yesterday that his position to challenge the decision by the Speaker of Parliament Job Ndugai at the court was irrespective of the election calender released by Nec.
“Our decision to stays regardless of Nec calender. We will go there (to court) when we are ready, based on legal grounds we have and not what Nec has included in the election timetable.”
“We will ask the court for some reliefs including suspending the by-election. However, there are important steps and documents including speaker’s letter on the decision need to be gathered first before filing of the case,” he said.
He alleged that the electoral body was unusually expediting the by-election process because of pressure exerted on it, noting that 12 days were not enough for campaigning in a constituency with 13 wards and 50 villages.
He said what NEC was doing strongly justified the case for an independent electoral body, saying the prevailing situation has rendered the by-election invalid. He said the by-election was called to justify decision by few people to unseat him.
“We will intensify our fight outside the parliament, inside or outside the court, inside or outside the country,” he said.
Mr Lissu who survived assassination attempt in September 7, 2017 while attending parliamentary session in Dodoma is receiving treatment in Belgium.
On June 28, this year, the Speaker told Parliament that the MP had lost his parliamentary seat after failing to inform his office about his whereabouts.
Ndugai also said he decided to strip Mr Lissu of his parliamentary seat over failure to declare his assets and liabilities in accordance with the Public Leaders Code of Ethic Act.
Yesterday, ACT- Wazalendo ideology, publicity and public communications secretary, Mr Ado Shaibu said: “Our position will remain, that we are deeply upset with speaker Ndugai’s decision and we will not participate in the by-election.”
He added: “The time is too short for campaigning, this reveals Nec’s intention to expedite this process to block legal processes, taking into account that Mr Lissu is outside the country.”
Singida Regional CCM chairman, Mr Juma Kilimba said they had readjusted themselves to reclaim the seat, noting that CCM would win the by-election even if campaigns were slated for a single day.
