Sacked TLP leaders seek court injunction

Ex -Leaders of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), who were expelled from the party last year, have filed an application with a Dar es Salaam court seeking to restrain National Chairman Augustine Mrema from conducting both the National Executive Committee meeting and the National Conference.

By Lydia Shekighenda

 
Ex -Leaders of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), who were expelled from the party last year, have filed an application with a Dar es Salaam court seeking to restrain National Chairman Augustine Mrema from conducting both the National Executive Committee meeting and the National Conference.

 

The ex-leaders, who filed a miscellaneous application at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate`s Court on March 29, 2007, want the court to stop the two meetings set for tomorrow on the grounds that they are in breach of the TLP constitution.

 

Hamad Rajab Tao, former TLP secretary general, is leading eight others in what appears to be yet another simmering leadership row in one of the country�s major political parties.

 

Other petitioners are Perpetua Mashele, Julieth Baningwa, Esther Kapama, Salama Juma, Abbas Salum, Leonsia Nyawale, Matrida Magesa and Waziri Semkiwa.

 

The applicants claim that the meeting scheduled for April 3, this year is unconstitutional and does not follow party rules.

 

They also want Mrema to be restrained from conducting the two top party meetings due to pending determination of the counter claim in civil case No. 12 of 2006.

 

They also want the court to restrain the TLP chairman and his agents from withdrawing monies from the party`s account pending determination of the counter claim in the said civil case.

 

�The meeting is unconstitutional because the Secretary General is not involved as required under the TLP constitution.

 

A fourteen-day notice was not given as stipulated,� they claim.

 

Speaking to The Guardian by telephone yesterday, TLP Chairman Augustine Mrema said the meeting which they expect to hold tomorrow has been organized legitimately and does not violate the party�s constitution.

 

He said the party leaders who convened the gathering were legally elected and were duly recognized by the Registrar of Political Parties as manifested in a letter dated March 15, this year.

 

The party leaders, as recognized by the Registrar, John Tendwa, include Mrema himself, as Chairman, Lumuli Kasupa (Vice-chairman-Mainland), Hamad Mkandamu (Vice-chairman-Zanzibar) and John Komba (secretary general).

 

�Those who filed a court application are not legally elected party leaders.

 

They don�t have any right to restrain us from conducting our meetings,� Mrema said, adding:`The meetings are legal, but if the court puts them to a stop, we are not going to defy the order.

 

However, we want the court to make a wise decision on this matter and, if possible seek our views before arriving at the verdict.�

 

He insisted that following the registrar�s endorsement of the new party leadership, he would proceed to conduct the meetings and perform other party functions as there was no order given to the contrary.

 

Source: Guardian