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TBC biased, Mbowe claims

 
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Member of the Constituent Assembly Tundu Lissu stresses a point in one of the House sessions in Dodoma recently. On Saturday TBC live broadcasts, both  TV and radio were disconnected as he made a presentation due to what was explained as a consequence of hostile weather in Dar es Salaam.   PHOTO | SALHIM SHAO. 
Dodoma. The Coalition of Defenders of the People’s Constitution (Ukawa) has accused Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) of deliberately interrupting coverage of the Constituent Assembly session on Saturday.
Ukawa chairman Freeman Mbowe said yesterday that the move meant to favour CCM interests in the assembly.
Mr Mbowe said by shutting down live television and radio coverage of the CA debate when Tundu Lissu was presenting minority views was proof of the State broadcaster’s ill motive  towards those with a divergent opnion.
“Lissu’s case should not be taken in isolation. If you follow keenly on their reportage, you will agree with me that all TBC programmes are in favour of CCM’s stand on the two-government structure.
“The only time you hear of the three-government system is when a member of the Constituent Assembly (MCA), who is not from CCM, defends the structure,” he observed.
According to Mr Mbowe, TBC is not doing a fair reportage as it ought to.  “This media house is operated using taxpayers’ money regardless of their political affiliations. The government is but a custodian…so it has to report all sides of the coin fairly,” he pointed out.
A similar blame was also levelled against state-owned newspapers Daily News and Habari Leo. Ukawa warned that what TBC was doing was dividing the country, warning that the latter would set a wrong platform which might compromise national stability.
“This happened in Rwanda where it was also the media which was used by the government to spread ethnic hatred to the extent of causing the (1994) genocide. We have to learn from these mistakes,” stressed Mr Tundu Lissu.
Ukawa also accused the minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports of being behind the plot.
The coalition said the minister controlled whatever content went on air as far as the constitution-making process was concerned.
“She even dictates who should be interviewed. And you can see that all of them are in favour of the CCM stand,” Mr Mbowe claimed.
Attempts to get the minister to respond to the allegations by press time yesterday bore no fruit as this reporter’s calls went unanswered and so were his short text messages. The CA adjourned prematurely on Saturday after live TV and radio coverage of the session were abruptly interrupted.
The broadcast was suddenly interrupted at around noon as outspoken CA member Tundu Lissu was presenting the report of minority members of House Committee Number Four.
Mr Lissu went on with his speech for fear of wasting the limited time he had been allocated even as protests from the MCAs gained pace.
This prompted Mr Mbowe to ask the Assembly chairman, Mr Samuel Sitta: “TBC, which has all along been broadcasting this debate live via television and radio, there are reports this has been interrupted its service. What can you tell Tanzanians, Mr Chairman?”
Mr Sitta responded that the CA had entered into a contract with the government and the public broadcaster to ensure the House debates and other proceedings reached the people in real time.
“I order the CA clerk to immediately find out exactly what happened,” he added. “In case it is a technical hitch, we should resume shortly.”
Mr   Sitta eventually announced that bad weather in Dar was to blame, which led to an uproar as some MCAs sympathised with TBC, saying they were aware that the Julius Nyerere International Airport had been shut down and that some key roads had been closed as a result of the downpour.“We cannot continue,” Mr Sitta said amid cheers from the MCAs.  He addedd: “I direct the CA clerk to allocate time for Mr Lissu to finish his presentation when we resume on Monday.”
But Dr Hamisi Kigwangalla, who presented the report of the majority members of the CA Committee Number Four on behalf of its chair, Mr Christopher ole Sendeka, loudly insisted on seeking guidance from the chair.
“Would you please clarify which, between Standing Orders Number 32 on presentations of committee reports and Number 62(1) applies in extending time for a presentation of a report by the minority,” he asked amid protests from most MCAs.
“This only occurs when you have bogus politicians in the House,” Mr Sitta remarked, sparking more protests in the august House, with some MCAs claiming he had been elected through favouritism.
“It’s hard to understand me if you aren’t intelligent enough,” Mr Kigwangalla responded, insisting that he wanted to know which of the two Standing Order clauses Mr Sitta applied when he adjourned the House.
“What we’re doing here is very important,” Mr Sitta responded. “We entered into a contract with the broadcaster to ensure the debates are conveyed to wananchi.” While Mr Sitta insisted that he had extended time for presentation of the report by minority members of the CA Committee No. Four for the sake of fairness, Mr Kigwangalla maintained that the chair was biased, arguing that the interruption of live broadcasts didn’t warrant adjournment of the session.
The CA chairman clarified that he had applied clause number 85 of the Standing Orders which gives him power to nullify any other clause as well as 85(4) which says a session could be adjourned for various reasons.
“And one of the reasons in question is what has just happened. For the sake of fairness, when live broadcasts are interrupted when any MCA  is presenting, let me know so I can do the same,” he stressed. (Source: The Citizen)

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