A NUMBER of legislators from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) have rallied their support towards Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly DrTulia Ackson, accusing the opposition camp of seeking ‘cheap-popularity.’
On Wednesday, the opposition submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly a petition seeking to oust Dr Ackson, whom among other things is accused of incompetence and mistreatment of opposition legislators.
Since Tuesday, MPs from the opposition vowed to boycott all House sessions to be chaired by the Deputy Speaker as a sign of protesting her chairing of the august House.
They have since then walked out of the debating chamber whenever Dr Ackson is chairing a session. However, at a news conference here yesterday, three MPs from CCM defended Dr Ackson and praised her as a competent leader who sticks to the Standing Orders of the National Assembly.
The MPs include Dr Abdallah Possi (Nominated), Mr Joseph Kakunda (Sikonge) and Prof Anna Tibaijuka (Muleba South). The trio spoke highly of Dr Ackson, praising the trained lawyer for her unwavering stand on issues of national interests.
“What the opposition MPs are doing is just seeking cheap popularity, the National Assembly has rules which ought to be followed,” Mr Kakunda remarked. Prof Tibaijuka went further and charged that the MPs from the opposition were undermining the Deputy Speaker mainly because she is a woman.
For his part, Dr Possi who is also the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs and People with Disabilities) explained that it is the discretion of the presiding chair to allow or reject any point of guidance raised by any member.
According to Prof Tibaijuka, the opposition will require one third of signatures from MPs, translating to 129 out of 387 legislators for the petition to oust the Deputy Speaker to be realistic.
Dr Ackson fell out with opposition MPs last Monday after she ordered them to be thrown out of the debating chamber for defying her orders.
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