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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Tanzanian PM to resign over graft | Tanzanian PM to resign over graft |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Tanzania's prime minister has tendered his resignation after being implicated in an energy deal corruption scandal. | Tanzania's prime minister has tendered his resignation after being implicated in an energy deal corruption scandal. |
| "Because I have been linked to this scandal, I have decided to write to the president asking to be relieved of my duties," Edward Lowassa told MPs. | "Because I have been linked to this scandal, I have decided to write to the president asking to be relieved of my duties," Edward Lowassa told MPs. |
| He has denied that his office was involved in improperly awarding a contract to US-based electricity company Richmond Development in 2006. | |
| The firm failed to provide emergency power during a power crisis in 2006. | The firm failed to provide emergency power during a power crisis in 2006. |
| I've offered my resignation... to register my disagreement with the manner in which the committee misled parliament Edward LowassaTanzanian prime minister | |
| The BBC's Vicky Ntetema in Dar es Salaam says a drought early in 2006 had left water levels in dams low leading to severe power cuts. | |
| Richmond was contracted to bring in generators to provide 100 megawatts of electricity each day. | Richmond was contracted to bring in generators to provide 100 megawatts of electricity each day. |
| But a parliamentary inquiry, launched in November, found that the generators failed to arrive on time and when they did, they did not work as required. | But a parliamentary inquiry, launched in November, found that the generators failed to arrive on time and when they did, they did not work as required. |
| By the time the company was ready to start operations, Tanzania's power problems had been resolved. | |
| Despite these failings, the government was contracted to pay Richmond more than $100,000 a day. | Despite these failings, the government was contracted to pay Richmond more than $100,000 a day. |
| Mr Lowassa's office later influenced the government's decision to extend Richmond's contract despite advice to the contrary from the state-run energy company Tanesco, the inquiry alleges. | Mr Lowassa's office later influenced the government's decision to extend Richmond's contract despite advice to the contrary from the state-run energy company Tanesco, the inquiry alleges. |
| Richmond "lacked experience, expertise and was financially incapacitated", ruling party MP Harrison Mwakyembe, who headed the investigation, is quoted by Tanzania's Guardian newspaper as telling parliament on Wednesday. | Richmond "lacked experience, expertise and was financially incapacitated", ruling party MP Harrison Mwakyembe, who headed the investigation, is quoted by Tanzania's Guardian newspaper as telling parliament on Wednesday. |
| Richmond transferred its tender to another company, Dowans, last year. | Richmond transferred its tender to another company, Dowans, last year. |
| Emotion | |
| The prime minister, who has denied any links to the scandal, has suggested the committee was given the wrong information. | |
| "I've thought long and hard about this issue. I've offered my resignation without any ill motive," he said in an emotional speech to parliament. | |
| "I've done it to as a sign of my responsibility and to register my disagreement with the manner in which the committee misled parliament." | |
| Our correspondent says Mr Lowassa, who entered politics in the 1980s, is a very close ally of President Jakaya Kikwete who came to power in 2005. | Our correspondent says Mr Lowassa, who entered politics in the 1980s, is a very close ally of President Jakaya Kikwete who came to power in 2005. |
| But this is not his first brush with controversy. | But this is not his first brush with controversy. |
| Under President Ali Mwinyi, he was relieved of his duties as a land minister because of allegations of corruption. | Under President Ali Mwinyi, he was relieved of his duties as a land minister because of allegations of corruption. |
| The scandal infuriated Julius Nyerere, Tanzania's respected independence leader. | The scandal infuriated Julius Nyerere, Tanzania's respected independence leader. |
| The BBC's Africa editor Mary Harper says the offer of resignation from such a senior member of government for alleged links with corruption is unprecedented in Tanzania, and unusual in Africa. | |
| But Tanzania has been getting more serious about corruption since President Kikwete was elected. | |
| Just last month, the governor of the central bank was sacked following the disappearance of public funds from the bank. |