Hivi vikao vya Wabunge wa CCM ndiyo vitawamaliza na si ajabu wakitoka huko watakuwa ni wengine kabisa!
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CCM MPs to discuss position on Richmond
-PM Lowassa to chair crucial caucus meeting ahead of next week's debate
THISDAY REPORTER
Dodoma
CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) legislators are set to hold a crucial caucus meeting here tomorrow, ahead of the upcoming parliamentary debate on the final report of a Bunge committee assigned to investigate the controversial Richmond power generation deal.
Insiders have told THISDAY that the meeting will also discuss the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) special audit findings, whose report is also expected to come up for debate in the House next week.
The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Edward Lowassa by virtue of his position as the official leader of government business in the National Assembly, is expected to seek a common ground on both sensitive issues.
The regular caucus meetings of ruling party MPs usually determine matters of policy, parliamentary strategy and tactics, and even disciplinary measures to be taken against disobedient or rebel MPs who do not tow the party line.
We have already been notified that there will be a meeting on Tuesday (tomorrow) to discuss what our position as CCM lawmakers should be on the Richmond and BoT audit debates next week, one ruling party MP, who asked not to be named, told THISDAY.
The secretary of the CCM parliamentary caucus, Ali Ameir Mohamed (Donge-CCM), also confirmed that the meeting would be held tomorrow, but insisted that it was just a normal meeting held regularly, and was not being specifically convened to discuss the Richmond and BoT issues.
It has been suggested that even though the caucus may try to bring maverick lawmakers in line beforehand, several senior government officials should expect a serious telling off from ruling party MPs when the Richmond and BoT debates come up in parliament.
President Kikwete has given us the go-ahead to reprimand even ministers who have become a burden to the government - and we intend to do just that, said another CCM lawmaker.
Although findings of the parliamentary committee on the dubious Richmond deal have not yet been made public, well-placed sources are already describing the report as a bombshell.
To demonstrate the seriousness of the matter, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Samwel Sitta, who flies to the US this week, has put a temporary hold on the much-anticipated House debates on Richmond and BoT until he returns next week.
Sitta has instructed the Deputy Speaker, Ms Anna Makinda, not to allow MPs to debate either of the two topics during his absence because he wants to personally preside over the matter.
He assured THISDAY that both debates will now take place during the third and final week of the current Bunge session (February 11 to 15).
The parliamentary committee that investigated the controversial, 172.9bn/- Richmond power generation deal was chaired by Dr Harrison Mwakyembe (Kyela-CCM). Other members were Ms Stella Manyanya (Special Seats-CCM) as vice-chairperson, Lucas Selelii (Nzega-CCM), Herbert Mntangi (Muheza-CCM) and Mohamed Mnyaa (Mkanyageni-CUF).
There were reports of high-level meddling during the parliamentary probe on Richmond, with the committee warning at one point that some testifying witnesses faced the risk of perjury for deliberately misleading the investigation.
A government procurement watchdog has also issued an official report saying the process that eventually led to the awarding of the contract to the US-based Richmond Development Company was interfered with by high-level government officials.
According to the report by the state-run Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), Richmond was awarded the contract despite having already been disqualified as incompetent by the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO).
The parliamentary inquiry into the Richmond affair followed dissatisfaction voiced by many MPs over the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB)?s declaration last May - after conducting its own investigation - that the deal was clean.