BY MWINYI SADALLAH
8th December 2012
Rotational presidency between Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar is one of the views presented here yesterday by speakers during an ongoing constitutional review meeting.
They said such an arrangement would eliminate protests that are staged against the Union in the Isles from time to time.
“Constitutional procedures of alternating electing presidents between the Mainland and Zanzibar should be introduced in the next general election in 2015,” said Sharifa Salum.
The resident of Kikwajuni in Zanzibar gave the opinion before the constitutional review commission team led by Professor Mwasiga Beregu.
For her part, Asia Mbaraka Ali, also a resident of Kikwajuni, said the present two government system is appropriate for Tanzania although there are few irregularities which should be sorted out.
Contributing her views at the constitutional review meeting at the old building of the House of Representatives in Zanzibar, Mwadawa Ali Hassan said:
“The Union President should be elected by rotation with effect from the next general election, so as to eliminate worries that have been troubling Zanzibaris for long time.
Since the formation of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964, the country has had four presidents - three (the late Julius Nyerere, Benjamin Mkapa and current President Jakaya Kikwete) are from the mainland while one (Ali Hassan Mwinyi) was from Zanzibar.
Nuru Ahmed Mohamed said she opposes the election of a private candidate and suggests: “We must have a system of electing leaders through their party representation.”
She said a private candidate would be ‘dangerous’ as there would be no organ that would control or oppose him/her.
“We dislike the system of private candidate, instead the current system of electing our leaders should be continued and maintained,” she said.
She was supported by Asha Ally Mohammed who said the two government system has helped maintain peace and national unity between the two countries.
She appealed to the national constitutional review commission to help keep the system, saying it would consolidate the governments of the two countries.
Anther Kikwajuni resident Hadji Machano said time had come to have a constitutional apex organ, which would protect ethical role models, including containing trends of acts of grand corruption among the country’s leaders.
Sheihk Jabir Haidar on his part noted that a Member of Parliament should not be appointed minister and that all top government leaders and the Chief Justice should be elected by the Parliament, instead of President.
For him Union of three government system is a permanent solution whereby there would be government of Tanganyika, government of Zanzibar and government of the Union.
A journalist Jacob Joseph maintained that media outlets are crucial in national development and consolidating basic human rights and good governance.
On his side, Zanzibar’s presidential adviser in matters related to land and environment Burhan Saadat Haji said the current two government system is the solution to all problems in the Isles.
However, he suggested a change in the Zanzibar constitution should be made to the effect that the Isles President becomes the Union Vice-President so as to bring a new concept in the national government leadership.
Zakia Omar Juma a member of CUF opposition party suggested to have three governments as a way to remove existing disparities as they relater to Union matters.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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