Local News

Briefcase parties to be axed

THE political parties Registrar Mr John Tendwa.

THE political parties’ registrar office plans to immediately introduce an automatic deregistration of the “briefcase parties” which despite having permanent registration, lack representation in the National Assembly and in the Local Government Councils.

The registrar Mr John Tendwa, said that any registered party aims at taking the control of the government thus having parties which for a number of years has no representation, was nothing than playing with multiparty democracy.

Speaking here on Saturday ahead of 20 years of multiparty democracy in the country to be marked on July 1, Mr Tendwa said that his office was not there to house parties which were only busy attending seminars and political forums but not to compete and acquire seats.

“There are number of “briefcase parties” just attending seminar. The goal of any party is to take control of the government. We must let political parties of this kind go and be turned into NGOs,” Mr Tendwa said, adding that a party without legislator, councillor or any kind of representative, did not deserve existence.

Mr Tendwa said that in early 1990s multiparty democracy was introduced in many African countries including Tanzania, but the number of parties which got a permanent registration has totally failed to stand the storm, thus deregistration was the only way forward.

He therefore said that, his office would immediately take before the Assembly a bill which would seek an approval so as to have an automatic relegation of parties which in five years fail to perform. He said that between 1992 and 1995, a total of 51 parties applied for registration.

However, only 13 met the criteria. Mr Tendwa also wanted all political parties’ leaders to fanatically evaluate and monitor their parties’ achievements in the 20 years of the multiparty democracy. “It is high time we assessed the challenges and achievements so that we could prosper. The country is now in a very stiff political competitiveness this clearly indicate that our multiparty democracy is flourishing,” Mr Tendwa noted.

In order to make the registrar office win public trust, Mr Tendwa said that there was need of incorporating this aspect in the new constitution by allowing the registrar being approved by another organ- National Assembly. The move, he said, would help to cut the claims from other political parties that the office was in favour of the ruling party. Currently there are about 19 political parties with permanent registration. However, others have no representatives both in the National Assembly and in the local government council.