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

Dr Harrison G. Mwakyembe
An interview with Harrison G. Mwakyembe
Chairman of the parliamentary committee of enquiry into the Richmond
Power Supply Contract
Dr Harrison George Mwakyembe has been MP for Kyela, near the
border with Malawi, since 2005. In November 2007, he was appointed
to a select committee of enquiry into the Richmond Power Supply
Contract, Tanzania’s first parliamentary enquiry into a public
controversy, of which he was elected chairman. From 2001-2005, he
represented Tanzania in the East African Legislative Assembly. A lawyer
by profession, Dr Mwakyembe lectured in company and constitutional
law at the University of Dar es Salaam from 1984-2000. He previously
worked as a journalist for the Tanzania News Agency, the
government-owned Daily News, and the CCM party newspaper Uhuru.
Was parliament effective under the one-party
system?
During the one-party system, parliament was robust. It was very active
– but only in the context of the one party system. You couldn’t think
outside that box. In the multi-party parliamentary set-up, of course the
party line hinders open and free debate. But we have grown out of that
since the first elections. MPs are realising, more and more, that people
are looking at your contribution rather than your loyalty to the party –
especially on issues which touch the public interest. People see us. They
read papers. They know the issues being debated.
What was the background to the Richmond
Enquiry?
It started with the parliamentary standing committee on investment and
trade. I was the vice-chairman of that standing committee. We came up
with our annual report, questioning the argument of the ministry of
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