Tanzania’s parliament has found auditor general Mussa Assad guilty of disrespecting and belittling the legislature, and refused to work with him.
Its decision came after Mr Assad described parliament as weak in a radio interview in December.
“The National Audit Office of Tanzania prepares reports which are supposed to be worked on by parliament, but no action is taken, which to me is a weakness of parliament… I believe it is a challenge that should be worked on… Parliament is failing to exercise its responsibilities effectively,” Mr Assad.
He refused to withdraw the remark when he appeared before the parliamentary Privileges, Ethics and Powers committee in January on the orders of speaker Job Ndugai.
Speaking to Tanzania’s national broadcaster this morning, Mr Assad said a constitutional crisis would be triggered if parliament’s resolution was implemented.
“If they are not going to work with me then that would be a gross contempt of the constitution,” he said.
The opposition is supporting Mr Assad, and an outspoken MP Halima Mdee has been suspended from attending the next two parliamentary sessions after she echoed Mr Assad’s view that the legislature was “weak”.
