TCD meets to discuss claims of rule violation

Dar es Salaam. Accusations levelled against the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) by the Registrar of Political Parties will be high on the agenda when TCD members meet today.

Reports that the organisation had failed to honour the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the office of the registrar in 2011 would feature prominently in the Dar es Salaam meeting, The Citizen learnt yesterday.

TCD member James Mbatia said the accusation by the registrar that the organisation was disregarding rules governing the expenditure of public funds was serious and deserved to be discussed at the highest level.

“This matter should be discussed by all members as a matter or urgency since it involves public funds,” said the NCCR-Mageuzi chairman.

The registrar, Mr Justice (rtd) Francis Mutungi, said last month in a letter to TCD that the organisation had not been submitting audited financial reports at the end of every financial year as required by the MoU.

He added in his letter dated December 22, 2014 and seen by The Citizen that TCD had been requesting for funds directly from the Treasury, contrary to the MoU, which required the organisation to do so through the registrar’s office.

He asked TCD to state categorically whether they had a MoU with the Ministry of Finance.

“There are letters that you (TCD) wrote, requesting for funds directly from the Treasury. If there is a MoU you have signed with the Ministry of Finance, you should submit your audited accounts to the Treasury, but if the only MoU you have is the one you signed with this office, then you should inform us as a matter of procedure.

“The ongoing controversy has been caused by the violation of Article 5 of the MoU, which requires TCD to invite my office to your decision-making meetings at least once a year to discuss issues related to this MoU,” Mr Justice Mutungi noted in his letter.

Reached for comment, TCD Executive Director Daniel Loya, said he was preparing the organisation’s response to issues raised by the registrar.

The Citizen reported exclusively on Tuesday that TCD was facing financial uncertainty after failing to abide by its MoU with the registrar’s office.

TCD says it will need about Sh1.74 billion to fund its activities in the 2015/16 financial year, but Mr Justice Mutungi, has told the organisation that it has been in breach of rules governing the expenditure of public funds as well as its agreement with his office.

TCD brings together political parties that have representation in Parliament, namely CCM, Chadema, CUF, the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) and United Democratic Party (UDP).

Mr Justice Mutungi says in his letter to the TCD executive director that the MoU clearly states that the organisation is required to submit its audited accounts not later than three months after the end of a financial year, adding that TCD has not done so.

Investigations by The Citizen have established that TCD received funding for five years from the Netherlands Institute of Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), whose support for the organisation ended in 2011 after which the government, through the Prime Minister’s Office, stepped in to fill the void.

TCD documents show that funds from the government are spent on organising meetings, printing, stationery, settling debts and paying sitting allowances, salaries and utility bills, among other expenses.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Zitto Kabwe said the committee had never handled a query about the transfer of funds from the registrar of political parties to TCD.

“We have yet to come across a query about funds given to TCD by the registrar’s office. Now that is has come to light, I think this is a matter worth pursuing. We need to take a closer look at the centre’s financial reports and its accountability in general.

“I have never seen an audited TCD report since I became PAC chairman. Our focus was on political parties, but we will now demand a TCD report from the registrar,” Mr Kabwe said.