13th October 2013
As opposition parties’ leaders prepare to meet
President Jakaya Kikwete at the State House on Tuesday next week to
discuss their viewpoints on the recently passed constitution review
bill, several concerns have been raised by politicians on implementation
of the outcome.
Presidents Kikwete in a televised address
on October 7 offered to hold a meeting to discuss the controversies
arising from the passed bill, where opposition legislators stormed out
of the hemicycle. The president seeks to end the deadlock that threatens
to derail popular participation in the process of getting a new
constitution.
Yesterday, the Tanzania Constitution Forum
decided to holds a meeting drawing a cross section of opposition party
leaders and civil society organizations to discuss several dilemmas
cropping up in the process leading to the enactment of the Constitution
Review Act, alongside the recently passed Constitution Review Bill.
Among the key items of the agendas raised
was the structure of the Constituent Assembly (CA) in view of reducing
the number of legislators in the Constitutional Assembly or the number
of civil society organizations be increased so as to have fair
representation.
Tanzania Constitution Forum chairman Deus
Kibamba said politicians will overrule the interest of the public if the
proposed Constituent Assembly structure is not refined.
He said wider representation and fair
representation of the people in the assembly is needed so as to suit the
interests of the majority.
He noted that constitution making process
should not serve the interests of the dominant group as politicians or
leaders, as due to this situation “the constitution making process is
now at a standstill.”
He equally demanded that civil society
should select their own representatives who they believed will suit the
purpose instead of giving president the power to select members.
Hebron Mwakagenda, executive director for
the Tanzania Coalition on Debt and Development (TCCD) expressed
concerned over the National Electoral Commission (NEC), demanding epoch
making changes in the commission.
He said the commission needs to be
independent and free from government interference or from specific
individuals, insisting that its independence had not yet been
guaranteed.
In a rejoinder, Ubungo MP John Mnyika who
is also CHADEMA secretary for ideology and publicity raised the issue of
the composition of the Constituent Assembly alongside extending the
timeframe of the process so as to reach consent and agreement on the
various aspects of the proposed constitution.
If the government fails to bring into
place the proposed new constitution then changes should be made in the
contentious constitution clauses, he urged.
However, the African Progressive Party of
Tanzania (APPT-Maendeleo) chairman Peter Mziray expressed deep concern
on political parties with zero representation in Parliament including
APPT and yet excluded in the Constituent assembly.
He said, the constitution making process
is a matter concerning all citizens, and people need their voices to be
heard in the process.
He also complained on some elected members
in the constituent assembly who lack necessary qualifications and yet
their names hold the “spot” in the constituent assembly.
Mziray said several mistakes have been
made by the government during the constitution making process, including
reforming the constitution without first making changes in section 98
of the United Republic of Tanzania constitution of 1977.
He said the government was irresponsible
by neglecting important procedures in constitution reforms, suggesting
that a petition should be filed against the government so as to penalize
the government for its actions.
National League for Democracy chairman
Emmanuel Makaidi said the new constitution will be attained by making a
new constitution instead of putting in some reforms in the old
constitution.
People have been misguided and thus a
national debate needs to be organized to address mistakes that have been
made in the process, the NLD leader asserted, expressing sentiments
that meeting the president was important but he was expecting nothing
much from it.
Another meeting will be hosted by the
Tanzania Constitution Forum soon after assessing the steps taken after
the party chiefs meet with the president early next week.
SOURCE:
GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
