Kenyan stance provokes MPs

[Ngongo]

The mood of the Tanzanian Parliament has been considerably fouled, some of its members questioning Kenya’s sincerity as a partner in the East African Community (EAC), as a consequence of which ratification of its envisaged common market may be derailed or slowed down.

At the centre of the anger is the accusation that the country’s neighbour to the north peddled negative propaganda that led to the recent decision by the Convention Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to reject Tanzania’s plea to sell 100 tonnes of stockpiled ivory.

At least eight of the twelve contributors during a seminar for members of parliament in Dodoma yesterday, said Tanzania should not ratify the EAC common market protocol, arguing that all East African countries except Burundi supported Kenya .

Tanzania is expected to ratify the protocol for the establishment of the East African Community Common Market this month after parliament’s envisaged approval tomorrow.

The protocol establishing the Common Market was signed on November 20 last year in Arusha during the 11th Summit of the EAC Heads of State.

Partner states are required to ratify the protocol and deposit the instruments of ratification with the Secretary General by April 30 for it to operate by July 1.

Minister for East African Co-operation Diodorus Kamala earlier told the legislators that he expected parliament to ratify the protocol because all the country's interests were safeguarded during negotiations. But this did not go well with furious MPs who said there was a need for Tanzania to reconsider its stand even though the protocol had been signed by President Jakaya Kikwete.

“This is one of the issues that will make Tanzania prosper as a nation or bogged down by unfriendly neighbouring countries. Those who will benefit from the signing of this protocol are other countries,” said Same East MP, Anne Kilango.

Special Seats MP Janet Mbene described the relations between Kenya and Tanzania as “bad bed fellows”, saying the two countries ought to have agree on the matter when it was brought up for discussion.

She said there are a lot of Kenyans, Ugandans and people from other countries working informally in Tanzania , a clear indication that Tanzanian stands to lose a lot to unfriendly neighbours in the name of the EAC common market.

But Kahama MP, James Lembeli, went even further, urging Tanzania to concentrate on strengthening economic ties with SADC countries and forget about EAC.

“ Doha presented a right platform for a neighbour who is ready to kill us at any time. Let us put politics aside; what transpired at Doha was a calculated move to ensure Tanzania does not prosper,” he said.

He said Kenyans are out to thwart the conservation policies of the country. He added that Kenya mobilised other African countries to beat Tanzania ’s bid to see the sale of ivory. On his part, however, Kongwa MP Job Ndugai said the country was already in the common market following President Kikwete’s signing of the document, and urged the country to go for a single currency that would strengthen national currency.

He acknowledged that Doha was a let-down that could have been caused by differences in scientific information, saying, “While Kenya does not believe in hunting, Tanzania has legalised it.”

Juma Ngasongwa (Ulanga West), urged that negotiations on matters of national interest should be done with due diligence. He said Kenyans only want to exploit Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park .

The Kigoma North MP, Zitto Kabwe, urged the legislators to approve the protocol, saying it was the roadmap for improving the lives of young Tanzanians.

He remarked: “By signing it, President Kikwete is like a train that has set off from Kigoma and we cannot stop it on the way; we only need to improve various issues arising in the common market proposals.”

Tanzania had rejected the proposals that citizens from other EAC states be allowed to own land or be entitled to permanent residency after living in an EAC country for five years.

It also requires East Africans travelling to Tanzania to use passports, although the other states agreed to have identification cards used as the only document.

According to Dr Kamala, a phased implementation has been agreed for some issues and national laws allowed to operate for land ownership and permanent residency.

Partner states are still within the time frame given by the heads of state to have the protocol start operating by July 1.

During the just concluded EAC Council of Ministers meeting in Arusha, the Council was informed by Rwanda and Tanzania that their respective Cabinets had already approved the ratification of the protocol and the same were to be submitted to their parliaments for ratification. Winding up the debate, Kamala told the legislators the government was working hard to ensure Tanzania gets the right share in the common market.

He described it as a Tanzanian protocol saying other EAC states had in most cases incorporated matters that were spearheaded by Tanzania .

“All the contentious issues have been resolved in favour our country and other countries always try to adopt our system of doing things, placing us above the rest in the region, ” said Kamala.

The Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, on his part allayed fears of the MPs, saying Tanzania was the biggest in the region in terms of resources and geographical area.

He said the government was determined to sail through all the contentious issues, adding that Doha was a minor matter that can be discussed at length within other protocols in the EAC.

“Don’t think that these issues will come all of a sudden. I request you to support the bill and give room for its signing,” pleaded Pinda.

The government was requesting to be given the go-ahead to sell about 90,000 kilogram’s of stockpiled ivory that would have generated as much as 20 million $ dollars (over 23bn/-). It was noted in the proposal that the elephant population has risen from 55,000 in 1989 to 110,000 last year.

The ivory would be sold to China and Japan the only countries which have asked to purchase it. The proposal would have been the third ivory sale following ones in 1999 and 2008.


SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY

 

[Njimba Nsalilwe]

We all know that this EAC protocol does not benefit us and up to now nobody is able to explain clearly its benefit.
For example, read PM's reasons for signing the protocol:

I quote:" The Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, on his part allayed fears of the MPs, saying Tanzania was the biggest in the region in terms of resources and geographical area". Yes PM, because Tanzania is bigger in terms of resources and geographically then should share with its neighbors?

Read also MPS' comments as presented by Daily News:



From ROSE ATHUMANI in Dodoma, 17th April 2010 @ 23:59, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 151

MEMBERS of Parliament yesterday flatly rejected to support the East African Union Common Market Protocol to be tabled tomorrow, saying they needed more time to study it.

The MPs who were attending a seminar here yesterday organized by the Ministry of East African Co-operation, ahead of the tabling of the protocol, majority of them said that Kenya was not a good neighbour.

However, the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda urged the MPs to support the protocol.

He agreed that Kenyans had vested interest in the EAC but promised that the government would be careful, particularly in the areas of tourism in which Kenya has keen interest.

"We will wait for them in the areas where they think they will benefit more, which is tourism," he added.

He said Tanzania is the giant in EAC in both size and potentiality, adding that the government will stand firm for what Tanzanians want.

Reynard Mrope (Masasi - CCM), said Kenya was against Tanzania selling its ivory at the CITES meeting in Doha, so there was no need to take them as a good partner or neighbour.

He recalled Kenya's strong lobbying against Tanzania's request during the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Doha, Qatar, last month to sell its stockpile of ivory.

"Kenya is not a good neighbour, they refused completely to support our bid to sell the tusks and instead lobbied against our proposal," he added.

He said Tanzania's natural resources are benefiting Kenyans immensely and the latter are using Mount Kilimanjaro in attracting tourists for their benefit.

"We just wanted to sell the ivory which we have kept in store for a long time. Instead of supporting us as an EAC member state, they were against it despite the fact that we are using a lot of money storing it. They want us to burn it," he noted.

Dr Charles Mlingwa (Shinyanga Urban - CCM) suggested Tanzania should be the last in ratifying the Common Market protocol.

"The behaviour of some neighbouring countries is disappointing. I have examples of international meetings whereby Kenyans always wait for Tanzanians to give their suggestions, after which they would come out and shout them down," Dr
Mlingwa told the legislators in the seminar.

Citing another case, he said in 2002 Tanzania had requested to increase hunting of leopard but faced a hard time fighting Kenya which was opposed to the idea.

"In Bangkok in 2004 Kenya applied to have the lion placed in the endangered species level one. We had a hard time facing them off and CITES is a recent example. What kind of an EAC are we building here? Dr Mlingwa wondered.

He said Kenya which is against Tanzania is now considering constructing an international airport at Taveta in order to kill Kilimanjaro International Airport.

"We must not join the common market for political reasons, we need to look at the nation's long term benefits or losses," he advised.

Yono Kevela (Njombe West - CCM), suggested the country to forget about the common market altogether citing little public knowledge.

"The common market will be just beneficial to Kenyans, so as representatives of the people we should not rush into this," he added.
Suleiman Kumchaya (Lulindi - CCM), said it was an embarrassment when the whole world witnessed Kenya and Tanzania, which are supposed to be good neighbours supporting each other, apart from being in the EAC, battling it out over selling of elephant tusks.

"That was the best place to show support to an EAC member, but Kenya chose to reveal its true colours and today you are telling us to support the common market, how?" he added.

Dr Juma Ngasongwa (Ulanga West - CCM), stressed for patriotism in such issues calling for prevailing of national interests rather than that of the EAC.

"We must be very careful on this matter because Kenya needs Tanzania's tourism so much, especially Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti. Although we shouldn't fear getting in, but we must make decisions that are beneficial to the nation," he added.

On her part, Anna Kilango (Same East - CCM), said Kenyans are 'cleverer' than Tanzanians, adding that despite the fact that President Jakaya Kikwete has already signed the protocol, that did not mean the legislators must support it.

She said Kenya was behind the break up of EAC in 1977, suggesting for more time and careful decisions on the matter.

The Minister for East African Co-operation, Dr Diodorus Kamala, said the common market protocol had incorporated all suggestions that had been previously raised by the legislators in previous meetings.

He, however, promised to table the concerns of the legislators in EAC meetings, adding that other concerns like the Doha issue can be raised in the tourism and wildlife management protocol.

Partner states are required to ratify the protocol and deposit the instruments of ratification with the Secretary General by April 30, so that it may become operational by July 1.

The protocol establishing the Common Market was signed on November 20, last year, in Arusha during the 11th Summit of the EAC Heads of State.

Last week, the EAC Acting Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Mr Owora Richard Otieno was quoted as saying that the Secretariat had dispatched the signed original protocol and annexes to all the partner states last December.

He said that the partner states are still within the timeframe given by the heads of state to have the protocol start operating by July 1.

Apart from Tanzania, Rwanda is another EAC member which is in line to ratify the protocol after the cabinet had approved it.

However, Kenya reported that the relevant ministers have signed the memo to be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration.

In Burundi, the Cabinet had approved the ratification, while Uganda reported that the Cabinet had given a go-ahead the protocol ratification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In line with the post negotiation programme, the high level task force on the EAC Common Market Protocol was tasked to continue negotiations on the annex on the harmonisation and mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications and additional commitments under the schedule on progressive liberalisation of services.

Others are additional commitments under the schedule for the free movement of workers; annex on social security benefits in the community and last but not least is annex on the macro economic convergence criteria.
SOURCE: Daily News

 

[MkamaP]

Inabidi wabunge waonyeshe machungu kwa kubwaga chini hii kitu na sio kutupiga propaganda tu.

Kwani hili jitubwana wanalipitisha ama kulikataa lini? leo ama kesho?

 

[Babuyao]

Wajinga ndiyo waliwao! Hivi Watanzania nani katuloga mpaka tunashindwa kuona hasara tutakayopata hili dubwana EAC? Hivi tumejichoka hivi?

 

[MpendaTz]

Hapa napata hisia kama vile Mungu katupa tena nafasi ya kuzidi kuwaelewa hawa jirani zetu lakini bado hatujitambui! Na kwa mara nyingine tena tutajikuta kwenye shirikisho lisilotufaidisha sisi Watanzania. Hivi wananchi haturuhusiwi kupata kopi ya hayo makubaliano? tujisomee tuulizege na maswali? Ahh!

 

[MkamaP]

Wajinga ndiyo waliwao! Hivi Watanzania nani katuloga mpaka tunashindwa kuona hasara tutakayopata hili dubwana EAC? Hivi tumejichoka hivi?

Wenye machungu bado tupo, na hatujachoka. Na tunasubiri tu mda ukifika, japo naweza nisiwe mimi lakini wapo wenye hisia kama zangu watanya kweli.

 

[MkamaP]

Hapa napata hisia kama vile Mungu katupa tena nafasi ya kuzidi kuwaelewa hawa jirani zetu lakini bado hatujitambui! Na kwa mara nyingine tena tutajikuta kwenye shirikisho lisilotufaidisha sisi Watanzania. Hivi wananchi haturuhusiwi kupata kopi ya hayo makubaliano? tujisomee tuulizege na maswali? Ahh!

Ni kweli kabisa , ukiwa unafuatilia matukio yako mwenyewe binafsi utaona kabla yakufanya na kuamua kitu Mungu huwa anakupa warning ya namna fulani japo wengi wetu huwa hatuitilii maanani.

Hilo swala la pembe sio kwamba limetokea kwa bahati mbaya, ni ufunuo. Mungu ametufunua na kutuonyesha ni nani tunakwenda kuungana nao. Lakini kwa ukaidi na ugumu wa roho za warafi wachache wanaforce tu mambo.

Watu kwa kujiwekea kinga eti wanapostaafu wanafikiri ndiyo dawa, kuna siku mtetezi wa wanyonge dikiteta mstaarabu akiongozwa na Mungu atawachukulia hatua kali viongozi wetu wanaotuangamiza bila kujali katiba ina mlinda mtu wala nini.

 

[Wacha1]

Hata Zito aliyepewa peremende anakumbatia ujinga.

 

[Wacha1]

Juma Ngasongwa (Ulanga West), urged that negotiations on matters of national interest should be done with due diligence. He said Kenyans only want to exploit Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park.

Wajinga ndio waliwao Hivi kweli hawa wabunge walichaguliwa kuwasaliti waliowapa dhamana? Hongera sana Juma Ngasongwa kwa kuona tamaa ya hawa Manyang'au. wabunge wengi baada ya kulipwa fweza nyingi wanasahau wajibu wao.

 

[Rufiji]

I am more than offended with what Mheshimiwa Zitto Kabwe postulated today. To compare EAC with a train that has gain momentum, and therefore nothing can be done to stop it, is an insult to our every Tanzanian’s intelligence and our parliament. It seems Mheshimiwa doesn’t even understand the roles of the parliament, and I am going to educate him on that issue! It is important to acknowledge that those who devised the structure of our government did that for one reason only, and that is to create a system of checks and balances. That mean powers are divided equally among those three branches of government. As a result, a bill has to pass through both chambers, executive and legislative, before it enacted into law. Simply because a president has signed a treaty or in this case a protocol, it doesn’t mean that it will automatically become a law! It will only become a law of the land once it is affirmed by the parliament.

 

[Abdulhalim]

Sababu wanazozitoa wabunge wetu kukataa hilo soko la pamoja ni ZA KIJINGA KUPITILIZA..pia wanaotetea hilo shirikisho nao hawasemi sababu za maana za sisi kujiunga..Hii nchi kweli ni nchi isio na mwenyewe..shamba la bibi..hamna wa kuisimamia.

 

[Abdulhalim]

I am more than offended with what Mheshimiwa Zitto Kabwe postulated today. To compare EAC with a train that has gain momentum, and therefore nothing can be done to stop it, is an insult to our every Tanzanian's intelligence and our parliament. It seems Mheshimiwa doesn't even understand the roles of the parliament, and I am going to educate him on that issue! It is important to acknowledge that those who devised the structure of our government did that for one reason only, and that is to create a system of checks and balances. That mean powers are divided equally among those three branches of government. As a result, a bill has to pass through both chambers, executive and legislative, before it enacted into law. Simply because a president has signed a treaty or in this case a protocol, it doesn't mean that it will automatically become a law! It will only become a law of the land once it is affirmed by the parliament.

Actually umeniwahi kuongelea mchango wa huyu ZItto..ni maajabu kwa kweli. Lakini sikutegemea mawazo tofauti, ukiwa kwenye box ni lazima mawazo yako yatakuwa yanahusu kilichomo kwenye box. Huezi kuona nje kuna nini. Na usidhanie hizi policy zinawekwa ktk sheria in vain, hii ni jitihada ya wazi ya kueka institutional slavery ktk sheria ili watu wasi-question huko mbeleni. It is a shame kaa tunaeza kufika popote na watu wenye fikra kaa Zitto au Pinda, ambao nilidhani wangekuwa chachu ya kutetea maslaha ya Tz na watz ambao hawana exposure ya kujua kitachojiri.

 

[Abdulhalim]

BTW, Br Mlenge uko wapi?

 

[Abdulhalim]

Hapa napata hisia kama vile Mungu katupa tena nafasi ya kuzidi kuwaelewa hawa jirani zetu lakini bado hatujitambui! Na kwa mara nyingine tena tutajikuta kwenye shirikisho lisilotufaidisha sisi Watanzania. Hivi wananchi haturuhusiwi kupata kopi ya hayo makubaliano? tujisomee tuulizege na maswali? Ahh!

Tatizo sidhani kaa ni Wakenya..matatizo ya msingi yapo kwetu sisi, ni vema tudeal na serikali yetu na bunge letu, linaloamua kwa niaba yetu bila kutumwa na sisi wananchi.

Ndio hapo linapokuja suala la mfumo wetu wa kujitawala DHAIFU wenye loopholes za decision-making kuwa MANIPULATED EASILY. Nimeongelea hili mara nyingi kwamba mfumo wetu wa kujitawala is a BIG JOKE. Hata kama tumeurithi au US na UK are doing the same stuff, sio ticket ya sisi kukumbatia kitu ambacho hakitufaidii eti tu kwa sababu kipo well documented kwenye nchi nyingine au duniani. Ktk mfumo wa sasa, zoezi zima la decision-making linategemea kikundi kidogo cha watu wachache, huku wengi wakiwa either hawajui kinachoendelea kwa kuwekwa usiri wa kusudi ili asiyehusika asijue kinachoendelea au watu waliotakiwa kujali hawataki kujali. As a result kitu kikishakubaliwa na genge la watu wachache kwenye chama, basi kinakuwa sheria as easily as that.

Ukiangalia mfumo wenyewe wa check and balance, bungeni ni KITUKO..kweli ni kuwa wabunge wengi sio think tank, na hata hoja zao nyingi ni VERY WEAK, hata kusimamia hoja bado ni ishu nene na wengi huishia kuside na vyama bila kuangalia mustakabali wa taifa. Kwa kifupi we are doomed mpaka hapo tutakapojisahihisha kwa kueka misingi bora ya kujitawala, ambayo itaweka best decision-making mechanism ambayo ni rahisi kuwa checked.

 

[Percival]

I think it is very silly to link the issue of Ivory sales with ratification of EA common market. The Ivory sales wont solve any of Tanzania problems beside Kenya opposition was based on its principals which were backed by its action in the past to burn the ivory instead of selling them.

EA community will bring allot of benefits to all countries - what cannot be achieved by one country can be achieved by community of countries. Also you will have a strong bargaining / negotiating power when you look for investments. See examples of these communities around the world just to see how much you have missed all these years. East African countries were ahead with their community in the past but choose to break it up and start bickering. What is important in every one of these communities is that interest of all members is safeguarded. God bless all those who looks for cooperation , justice and prosperity for their citizens.

 

[Abdulhalim]

EA community will bring allot of benefits to all countries - what cannot be achieved by one country can be achieved by community of countries. Also you will have a strong bargaining / negotiating power when you look for investments. See examples of these communities around the world just to see how much you have missed all these years. East African countries were ahead with their community in the past but choose to break it up and start bickering. What is important in every one of these communities is that interest of all members is safeguarded. God bless all those who looks for cooperation , justice and prosperity for their citizens.

I would like to KNOW those benefits which most of us do not know, because guys like you who knows DO NOT SPELL THOSE BENEFITS TO US. Hebu tuambie hizo benefits tuzijue ati! NI ZIPI HASA?

 

[Abdulhalim]

We all know that this EAC protocol does not benefit us and up to now nobody is able to explain clearly its benefit.
For example, read PM's reasons for signing the protocol:

I quote:" The Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, on his part allayed fears of the MPs, saying Tanzania was the biggest in the region in terms of resources and geographical area". Yes PM, because Tanzania is bigger in terms of resources and geographically then should share with its neighbors?

Njimba,

Sidhani kaa Pinda ni wa kulaumiwa as an individual. Sere na msimamo wa sasa serikali kuhusu kuendeleza nchi ni through KUKUWADIA RASILIMALI ZETU KWA WAGENI as if sisi ni VIWETE au hatuhitaji kujiendeleza..If u think natania, tafuta kuna thread ya Br. Mlenge kuhsu wawekezaji, amelist list ndeeeeefu ya uwekezaji kusumbua wanachi n.k. utashangaa serikali ilivo na kiherehere cha kutafuta wawekezaji kuliko ku-take control ya rasilimali zetu, kuziendeleza na kuyafikia maendeleo..Yaani kazi kuu ya serikali yetu kwa sasa ni UKUWADI, tena mbaya zaidi inalingana na mama anayemkuwadia bintiye kwa mwanaume mwenye UKIMWI..so sad indeed.

 

[Smatta]

And I thought we had the daftest representatives in the region. Its totally unrealistic to blame Kenya for the face off during the CITES (simply because each country was fighting for its interest, SIMPLE) and using this as an excuse for not supporting the East African Union Common Market Protocol, its like the mps have suddenly realized that Kenya is an animal which should be dealt with lots of caution. I think its best if Tanzania leaves this federation, spare us the drama and join SADC for Gods sake, we cant keep bending backwards for you forever, this time it will have to give.

 

[Njimba Nsalilwe]

Inabidi wabunge waonyeshe machungu kwa kubwaga chini hii kitu na sio kutupiga propaganda tu.

Kwani hili jitubwana wanalipitisha ama kulikataa lini? leo ama kesho?

Tatizo hatuna wabunge wanaoweza kutoa msimamo kama huo.
Labda tungoje watakao zaliwa. Lakini si kila kitu kitakuwa kimeshachukuliwa? Kwenye madini tutabaki na mashimo, viwanda vyote vitakuwa vimekufa, nk.
Safari bado ndefu na kuna kiza kinene mbele.

 

[Mlenge]

Njimba,

Sidhani kaa Pinda ni wa kulaumiwa as an individual. Sere na msimamo wa sasa serikali kuhusu kuendeleza nchi ni through KUKUWADIA RASILIMALI ZETU KWA WAGENI as if sisi ni VIWETE au hatuhitaji kujiendeleza..If u think natania, tafuta kuna thread ya Br. Mlenge kuhsu wawekezaji, amelist list ndeeeeefu ya uwekezaji kusumbua wanachi n.k. utashangaa serikali ilivo na kiherehere cha kutafuta wawekezaji kuliko ku-take control ya rasilimali zetu, kuziendeleza na kuyafikia maendeleo..Yaani kazi kuu ya serikali yetu kwa sasa ni UKUWADI, tena mbaya zaidi inalingana na mama anayemkuwadia bintiye kwa mwanaume mwenye UKIMWI..so sad indeed.

I cannot see my past threads!

Do you see yours?

Also the number of threads looks suspicious-- I cannot remember about 40 posts -- last time I checked I had far less posts than 200. With the new forum I started at post 199/200.

What is happening?

Shouldn't I worry?

Silencing or smearing critics I know is one of the steps taken before...