Bunge-Lenye-Meno-A-Parliament-with-Teeth-for-Tanzania-LAXNNAJ547

Conclusions and Recommendations
Priorities for reform include:
• Removal of the ban on independent MPs
• More free votes in parliament; limitations on the whip system
• Reforms to encourage more competitive selection of party candidates
• Electoral reform and more state funding for ‘serious’ candidates
Autonomy for Bunge
New Standing Orders regulating the work and procedures of the
National Assembly have significantly enhanced the autonomy of
parliament. In particular, the creation of a National Assembly Fund has
vested control of the parliamentary budget in a Commission of
Parliament chaired by the Speaker. Previously, funding for parliament
was included as a line item in the annual departmental budget of the
prime minister’s office. A five-year Corporate Action Plan for
parliament will set priorities for Bunge, supported by an allocation of
US$19 million from the World Bank.
Mr Sitta argues that financial independence for parliament enables more
effective separation of powers between the legislature and the executive.
Unspent monies from the parliamentary budget can be retained by the
National Assembly Fund for the next year. Budgetary independence
brings greater managerial autonomy, allowing parliament to recruit
technical staff such as Hansard editors on specialist terms outside the
normal conditions of employment stipulated by the civil service.
Dr Slaa expects changes in the management and funding of Bunge to be
followed by further devolution of administrative power. He argues that
greater autonomy for parliament would encourage the government to
review its policy of ‘D-by-D’, or Decentralisation by Devolution, to
facilitate more efficient allocation of resources at a local level. Dr Slaa
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