Presidential Election Issue Dominates Katiba Review Process Meetings
Mikutano ya Katiba Mpya mikoani.
Singida — THE issue of the electorate preferring more than 50 per cent win in a presidential election has been one of the major highlights among views given by people in the ongoing constitution review's views collection exercise being conducted by the Constitution Review Commission.
In various suggestions given by people across Mkalama and Iramba districts in Singida Region, most viewers suggested that for one to win the presidency, he or she should clinch over 50 per cent of the vote as opposed to the current setting where a majority win is the criteria.
In a wide range of contributions, people suggested that in case a majority win is not the result, then the two top candidates should form a Government of National Unity and not extending onto a run-off. One of them, Mr Godwin Mkumbo, a 50-year old farmer at Ntekente village in Iramba District says that a presidential aspirant should come with a majority vote of over 50 per cent.
"In order to get a head with numbers that show he or she is acceptable, the next constitution should put the criteria at more than 50 per cent win,"he said Contributing his views, Elias Chare, 42, councilor at Ntekente said that following an election,incase an outright winner from the first vote has not been successful to get more than 50 percent, then the two top political parties should form a Government of National Unity(GNU) He said that they should not go for a run- off on grounds that it would be wastage of tax payers' money.
"What is important is not power but for life of Tanzanians to go on as a nation with more focus on development spending and not funding election run-offs," he says Mr Chare argued that a GNU makes sure that no one is excluded from decision-making and economic benefits just because they were not associated with the majority group dominating the victorious party.
Arguments around the concept of "winner takes all" have been raised in various perspectives in POLITIKA in the past , having taken root in Zanzibar, Kenya and Zimbabwe But for Selemani Mzee, a 77 year old farmer, there should be no to independent candidates at elections, noting that they may produce incapable leaders since they have no party ideals or values to stand for.
Wilson Mkumbo, 48, a resident of Kaselya village, also said that there should be no funding to by-elections because it is a huge burden on public coffers. "Once a political leader is kicked out of power, why go for another election? It's better the one who came second in the previous election takes over instead of wasting public money on bye-elections," he said.
But a Member of the Constitution Review Commission, Mr Humphery Polepole asked him for a remedy in the event that it is ordinary citizens who opened up a case in court to kick out the political leader. Selasin Mghamba, a 37 year old farmer at Uleno village says that there is no need for spending public money on by-elections after a political leader has either been removed by courts of law or other natural factors.
"The position should be taken by that who came second in the previous election so that that money that would have funded a by elections is used for developmental work as roads, schools, hospitals etc," he says Preferring a Zanzibar kind of GNU arrangement, Emmanuel Mrangi, a 49 year old Pastor at Uleno village in Iramba district said the presidency should be won not at merely a simple majority vote but at over 50 percent of the totals votes cast.
"If that does not happen, then the two top candidates should form a government of national unity and we move on," he said Pastor Mrangi argued that to correct the problem of frictions that follow after a tight election,the next constitution could provide for could the GNU concept and institutions as a means of ensuring meaningful and effective participation of diverse political groups in the political and economic life of the country.
The GNU system of leadership was formed in 2010 after peaceful election following the agreement between then President Amani Karume (immediate former President of Zanzibar on the ruling CCM ticket) and Seif Sharif Hamad (CUF) to end political instability in the islands.
At the end of this month, Zanzibar marks the second anniversary of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Its leaders say the GNU had recorded several achievements including maintaining peace and stability and improving accountability. Gideon Lyana, 84, who said he once served in the army, punched holes into current Katiba that provides that in case there is a threat to the nation, the President should inform the Speaker in 14 days, for the Speaker to call an emergency Legislators' session to discuss the matter before the President goes ahead into action, for example military action.
"This is not an issue of national threat if it has to be subjected to discussions before taking quick action. I suggest that the next constitution empowers the President to act immediately with out having to subject it to Parliamentary discussions because that is delaying," he said Paul Wilack, 47, a resident of Kaselya village and a teacher also said the Presidential win should be over 50 percent or go into run-offs.
He also suggested that a president's win should be able to be contested in courts of law in case there are doubts about the numbers. Another contributor, Isa Ihara, a 35 year old teacher at Kaselya Primary School wants the Presidential terms to be pushed to 3 to make it 15 years, a similar proposal he laid for Members of Parliament. He also suggested that Legislators should pass budget or reject it with out facing the authority entrusted in the President to absolve Parliament when the budget does not sail through.
"Parliament will lack independence when discussing the budget because they are afraid that if they don't pass it, they will be resent for re-elections if the President absolves Parliament," he said. Peter Ntumo, pastor at Nduguti said civil servants should not be allowed to vie for political posts because their expertise is dismissed when they put civil service to joint elective politics. Jacob Daniel, a 26 year old extension officer at Nduguti said minimum age for one to run for President should be lowered from 40 to 35.
He suggested that in case an elected Member of Parliament ceases to be a legislator either through resignation or by order of court, then the position should be handed over to one who became second in the previous general election in order to cut costs that would go into running a by-election.
It was a similar idea shared by Hamisi Mpiga, a 47 year old teacher at Nduguti,who said that by- elections should not be held one an MP passes on or resigns or is kicked out by courts to cut on government spending and urged that instead, whoever came second in the previous General election takes over the post.
Furaha Mzuga, 24 at Kindo village, suggested that at Presidential elections,it should be political parties to compete against each other and which ever party wins should choose the President from with in its ranks on behalf of the rest of the country's electorate. However, generally, notwithstanding what the wananchi saw as lapses in the current constitution, most of the peoples' views showed that Tanzania could boast of a steadily strong national integration due to its historical foundation of pre-colonialism, unifying tenets of successive constitutions and the work of the founding father Mwalimu Julius Nyerere who eschewed sectionalism.
Source: Daily News
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