The Tanzanian government has threatened to deregister Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) which it accuses of engaging in politics.

The threat came soon after an opposition politician and lawyer, Tundu Lissu, sought to contest the organisation’s presidency in the election slated for March 18.

The lawyer is a critic of the current leadership of TLS, which he accuses of indifference amid what he terms state lawlessness.

“Major legislative developments of the recent past have threatened to undermine our constitutional fabric with TLS completely remaining unconcerned. We have hidden ourselves in the little cubicles of law chambers even when our very constitutional and legal order have come under the most vicious and sustained assault by those in power,” wrote Mr Lissu in his message to TLS members while asking for the vote.

The Minister for Constitutional Affairs and Justice Harrison Mwakyembe, wants the association to remain a professional outfit that protects professionalism and a broad range of interests of legal practitioners.

“If TLS purports to have grown enough to engage itself in additional responsibilities of political activism, the government will not hesitate to revoke all laws and regulations that enable its existence,” Dr Mwakyembe, a lawyer himself, said.

He added: “The ongoing processes and activities within the Bar entails political direction, TLS fate is unclear.”

Mr Lissu who is also a chief legal advisor of the main opposition party Chadema downplayed the warning saying it is not the first time that government leaders are threatening to wipe off TLS.

“Threats against TLS started with the late Prime Minister Edward Moringe Sokoine in the early 1980s, and even before that in the 1960s and 70s predecessors of Sokoine tried to do the same,” said Mr Lissu.

He added: “The threats resurfaced in the 1990s when Augustine Mrema was Minister for Home Affairs.”

Mr Lissu said such threats normally arise every time TLS and the private bar get in government toes to assert independence and defend the rule of law, resist state lawlessness and impunity of the rulers.

“One thing all these threats have in common is timing. If lawyers remain silent and TLS in the pocket of the government and they do not question the abuse of power, then they have a darling government,” he said.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Interim National Chairperson of the Civic United Front Julius Mtatiro said deregistering the society because it has a presidential candidate who is also a leader of a political party is absurd.