Mr Justice Francis Mutungi
In Summary
Yesterday, Mr Justice Mutungi said, however,
that the law that created his office does not prescribe punishment for
parties that involve foreign diplomats in their activities.
Dar es Salaam/Bariadi. The Registrar of Political Parties has censured CCM for involving a foreign ambassador in its activities.
Mr Justice Francis Mutungi said in a statement
yesterday that it was wrong for parties to involve diplomats in domestic
political affairs.
“We join the government in its concern about CCM’s
actions, and warn political parties to stop involving diplomats and
other foreigners in their activities,” he said.
The registrar’s reaction follows the ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s condemnation of Mr Lu
Youqing’s appearance at a CCM political rally in Shinyanga Region last
week.
The ministry’s spokesman, Mr Mkumbwa Ally, said Mr
Lu’s attendance of the rally breached both the Vienna Convention of
1961 and the Diplomatic and Consular Immunities and Privileges Act, 1986
that require foreign diplomats to keep off the domestic affairs of host
countries. He said the ministry had taken unspecified diplomatic action
following the transgression.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Mutungi said, however, that
the law that created his office does not prescribe punishment for
parties that involve foreign diplomats in their activities.
CCM on Wednesday continued to vigorously defend
its decision to invite Mr Lu, who was pictured sporting a CCM cap as he
shared the podium with the party’s secretary-general, Mr Abdulrahman
Kinana, at a rally in Kishapu District. Ideology and publicity secretary
Nape Nnauye said on Wednesday that there was nothing new or unusual
about diplomats attending CCM functions. “People are making a fuss about
nothing. Foreign ambassadors have been taking part in CCM activities,
including attending its meetings, for many years.
“Some of them have been asking to attend CCM
functions. They have been attending for many years and no one complained
that they were breaking international rules by doing so,” Mr Nnauye
said at a public rally in Bariadi Town, Shinyanga Region.
He said over half of ambassadors accredited to
Tanzania have visited and held talks with Mr Kinana since he was
appointed secretary-general last year.
“These were not secret meetings, but nobody complained. Why are they complaining now,” he queried.
Mr Nnauye said some of the projects inspected in
Shinyanga last week were being undertaken by Chinese firms, adding that
this explained the presence of the country’s ambassador.
He added that implementation of the projects was in line with CCM’s manifesto.
“It is CCM which initiated the investments. It is Chinese
companies which are investing. What is wrong with leaders from the two
sides working together in this,” he asked and singled out Chadema for
attack.
Mr Nnauye said Chadema had been “making noise”
because the opposition party knows that the end of its “empty promises”
to the people of Shinyanga and other cotton growing regions in the lake
zone has come.
“We all know that Chadema has this habit of making
political capital out of problems people are grappling with. “Once
these projects are completed, problems that cotton farmers and livestock
keepers currently face will be largely solved. It will be the end of
Chadema’s cheap brand of politics here. They will have no one to peddle
lies to,” he said.
The CCM official said the projects would ensure
that cotton farmers get higher prices for their produce in addition to
reducing unemployment in the region.
“Because Chadema has been using idle unemployed
youths in its demonstrations, they now know that once these projects are
up and running many youths will be employed, and they will have no one
take advantage of in Shinyanga Region,” he said.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
