President Jakaya Kikwete dissolves Parliament towards elections

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete on Friday dissolved the Parliament of Tanzania to facilitate the country's parliamentary and presidential elections slated for October 31, this year.

The parliament dissolved this evening after its last questions and answer session this morning according to a parliamentary timetable. Already the country's budget for the 2010/11 fiscal year has sailed through.


President : Jakaya Kikwete in Parliament

Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Mustafa Mkulo's 11trl/- budget estimates were approved by the House on Tuesday. An announcement early last month that the Budget session would last for only five weeks caused an uproar with complaints that the decision would deny the MPs enough time to debate the crucial issues in the estimate's income and expenditure proposals.

However, Job Ndugai (Kongwa - CCM), who is one of the Parliament Chairpersons, described the budget session, which was the shortest in the country's history, as effective and productive. He said issues were discussed precisely and the 2010/11 budget was endorsed smoothly with priority once again going to the agriculture, infrastructure, education, health and tourism sectors.

National Assembly Speaker Samuel Sitta said before the start of the session last month that the Parliament had been literally forced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) into reducing the Budget session period to a mere five weeks instead of the usual two months or more. The move was tailored to pave the way for preparations of the general elections.

The nation is eager to hear President Kikwete, who during his first five years term in office, has addressed Parliament only twice. This will be the third time. And, the agenda that is likely to come on top today will be about the general elections. As Tanzanians prepare for the 2010 general elections on October 31, it is evident that most MPs will have an uphill task to retain their positions.

The reason is in the open for anyone with eyes to see -- the stiff opposition is already making inroads into the political arena, especially within the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Names such as 'vuvuzelas' have emerged and have been tagged on outsiders, who have already come forward to express their intentions of challenging incumbent MPs.

For some MPs this does not augur well and the fear of losing their seats is mounting.
Already, some of the major political parties have nominated their presidential candidates and are putting in place systems that will pick parliamentary and civic candidates.

The Ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) endorsed incumbent President Jakaya Kikwete on Sunday after a Special Congress voted overwhelmingly for him to vie for the nation's highest office. Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) has already endorsed Mr Muttamwega Mgaywa to contend for the presidential post.

As it waits to be dissolved, the nineth Parliament will go down into the annals of history as one of the most effective and transparent. It has as well impressed by the fast action of the House to increase women representation.

It is during this Parliament that events in Tanzania's political scene were seen as taking place so rapidly as the House of Assembly appeared to be running in a fast mood, exactly as promised by Speaker Samuel Sitta.