CCM choice candidate for House Speaker out today

 

 Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) candidate for the position of the Speaker of National Assembly will be known today after the party’s Central Committee (CC) yesterday endorsed Job Ndugai, Abdulla Ali Mwinyi and Dr TuliaAkson.

 

The names of three candidates will be forwarded to the party caucus where CCM Members of Parliament will vote in order to come up with one candidate to face the opposition candidates in tomorrow’s vote in the House.

 

The 11th Parliament is scheduled to begin officially tomorrow whereby members of the House -elect will vote in the morning to get the Speaker for the National Assembly before swearing in of the new legislators to the new House.

 

But briefing journalists yesterday after the Central Committee meeting, CCM Publicity Secretary, Nape Nnauye said: “ The meeting had approved names of three people who will be voted by CCM Members of Parliament tomorrow at 10:00 am in order to come up with one name” .

 

On the post of Deputy Speaker, he said according to party standing orders the names of those vying for the post should submit nomination forms to the party caucus secretariat and not the CC.

 

He added that those interested in the post should pick the forms today and return them by tomorrow for approval of party MPs ahead of House voting on Thursday. 

 

Before the decision was reached yesterday, the ruling party first convened ethics committee meeting before the Central Committee. 

 

It was not clear what was discussed in the ethics meeting although traditionally such ethics deliberations had been used to axe certain candidates from the list of contestants.

 

Going by the number of members in the Parliament, it is most likely that the Speaker of the 11th Parliament will come from the three CCM candidates; all of who had what it takes to lead the House.

 

Who are these candidates? Mwinyi worked had as State Attorney for the Ministry of Legal Affairs (1996-1997) before joining BP as Supply and Trade Coordinator (1999-2002), Project Manager (2002-2004) and Company Secretary (2004-2005).From 2005 to 2007 he was an Associate with Mkono and Company.

 

 From 2007 he has been a Member of Parliament and a Member of the East African Legislative Assembly, where he is the chairperson of the Legal, Privileges and Rules Committee. In 2007 Mwinyi established Asyla Attorneys, where he specialises in corporate, commercial, labour and employment laws.

 

Mwinyi has an LLB in Law and  LLM in Commercial Law (both from the University of Cardiff). 

 

Dr Tulia Ackson who is Deputy Attorney General joined the University of Dar es Salaam in 2001 where she started to work as a postgraduate teaching assistant. She was promoted in 2004 to assistant lecturer after successful completion of her Master’s Degree in Law. In 2007 she was promoted to the rank of a lecturer after obtaining doctorate. In 2009 she became the associate  dean at the University of Dar es Salaam School of Law and served in that position for six years, thus, two terms of three years consecutively. She was promoted to a senior lecturer in 2011. 

 

In February 2014 Dr Ackson was appointed by former President Jakaya Kikwete to become a member of the Constituent Assembly of the United Republic of Tanzania representing higher learning institutions in the United Republic of Tanzania. She is a Member of Tanganyika Law Society, East African Law Society, and Southern African Development Law Society.

 

Dr Ackson is an expert in social security law, labour law, wildlife management laws, trusts, probate and administration of estates law, project financing and mining law. 

 

Her experience also includes general commercial agreements, such as joint ventures, agency agreements, distributorship agreements, service agreements, mergers and acquisitions, Initial Public Offerings, Management Buy-Outs, employment, commercial and competition law.

 

Dr Ackson is a practitioner with over 10 years' experience sin employment law. She regularly writes articles and talks on employment law matters and her practice covers all aspects of Tanzania employment law, from hiring, to firing, to handling disputes between employers and employees.

 

Job Yustino Ndugai has been Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly     since 2010 to 2015. He has been serving as the Member of Parliament for Kongwa Constituency since 2000. 

 

Ndugai was named as the most active MP in the 9th  Parliament.

 

Several newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) said here last Wednesday that they want a Speaker who is strong, cool minded and impartial to preside over the National Assembly.

 

The MPs are scheduled to elect the Speaker on Tuesday. The race for the seat of the Speaker and his/ her deputy is heating up, with some MPs-elect already mentioning diligence, experience and wisdom as the key qualifications.

 

Several aspirants, including some CCM political heavyweights, were seen canvassing for the votes from the MPs-elect who were doing registration at Bunge grounds.

 

The current Speaker Anne Makinda retires from active politics and her deputy Job Ndugai aspires for elevation. The legislators who are scheduled to start taking oath on Tuesday, foresee a more vibrant and constructive Parliament that requires a highly competent Speaker to preside over it.

 

“This is not going to be an ordinary Parliament we are used to,” said Dr Hamis Kigwangallah (Nzega Rural - CCM). Morogoro Rural legislator on CCM ticket, Omar Mgumba, said although it is his first time to enter the House, he is looking forward to seeing a lively Parliament.

 

“You look at the type of people who are entering the Parliament, they are young and really determined to represent their electorate,” he said.

 

According to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania (1977), the Parliament is the principal organ with the authority on behalf of the people, to oversee and advise the government and its organs in the discharge of its responsibilities.

 

In discharging of their functions, the MPs may ask ministers questions on the conduct of their ministries, deliberate on and authorise short and long term government plans. The Parliament is also responsible for enacting laws and raticfy all treaties and agreements to which the United Republic of Tanzania is a party.

 

The Speaker of the National Assembly is elected by MPs from amongst persons who are MPs or who are qualified to be MPs.

 

The Speaker is the leader of the National Assembly in all other institutions and meetings. The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly is elected by MPs from amongst Members of Parliament.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN