What's required of the the next Parliament speaker?

Dar es Salaam. As MP-elects ready themselves to pick the nest National Assembly speaker, political analysts, politicians and academics  urge that the speaker be impartial to house politics.

According to political analysts the next speaker will have to work towards uniting the house so that every MP can raise issues and challenge the government when necessary.

University of Dar es Salaam lecturer, Mr Zachalia Malima said the next speaker must be neutral and should avoid involving his/her political party’s interests into bunge businesses.

“The next Speaker must be a person who can stand on his own and make decision according to the parliamentary standing orders and without being pushed by anyone,” he said.

University of Dodoma lecturer, Mr Paul Loisulie said the next speaker should not be conservative instead he/she must be ready for change whenever MPs feel it is necessary within  House operations.

He added that the next parliamentary boss must be knowledgeable of various issues so that he/she could not allow MPs to use parliament to discuss issues related to their political parties or personal interests and instead national interests and strategies for solving people’s problems must be given first priority.

The next speaker will succeed Ms Anne Makinda who has led the parliament for five years. Other Speakers in the National Assembly history include A.Y.A.Karimjee from 1956 to 1962, Chief Adam Sapi Mkwawa from 1975 to 1994 and Chief Erasto Mang'enya who was a Speaker from 1973 to 1975. Others include Pius Msekwa from 1994 to 2005 and Samwel Sitta who lead the House from 2005 to 2010.