BY EMMANUEL ONYANGO
29th August 2013
The issue which has become a subject of debate in all constitutional council meetings across the country has sparked fear and mixed feelings among Tanzanians.
Some of them claim that the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar would come to an end if the idea would be finally approved in the constitution.
Lwaitama made the remarks early this week in Dar es Salaam at a constitutional council meeting which was organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as Change Tanzania that was held at a British Council hall.
He noted that, the three tier government structures would limit the President’s power and there is no means whatsoever as this issue is entirely upon Tanzanians to decide while voting for their opinions.
He said that, apart from the three government system, Tanzanians must know that there are a lot and more helpful matters to be discussed in the draft constitution which has come out with sixteen phases, in view of this, he urged Tanzanians to concentrate on other matters which will instead help the build their economic and future lives.
Dr Lwaitama has urged Tanzanians not to spend more time to discuss much about the three tier government structure and instead they should concentrate on other basic issues which could bring revolutionary change of mindset.
However, he counselled Tanzanians not to criticise whatever has been outlined in the new draft, instead they should talk with evidences to approve their arguments on the impacts on the three tier government structure.
“People should also talk of good things done by Judge Joseph Warioba’s review commission team and should not criticise everything in the constitution without proper explanations,” he said.
He reminded the audience that the essence of demanding for a new constitution started way back in 1964 after the army mutiny; this was first amended in 1965 with the purpose of preparing the coming of the policy of Arusha Declaration which ushered the building of a socialist state.
However, Balile noted that, the draft constitution did not carry some of the most important views earlier recommended by the TEF members. He mentioned some of them as the formation of the journalists’ council as the current one was not recognised by the constitution.
He said the draft does not state directly that the rights of the people to be informed is not only through media organs, but people can also be informed through other means so long as it is their right to be informed.
The forum was attended by academicians, human rights activists, lawyers and ordinary people who gathered to discuss the way forward about the new constitution for which Dr Lwaitama was among the three main speakers.
Other speakers were Deodatus Balile a member of Tanzania Editors’ Forum (TEF), Irenei Kiria who is the Managing Director of a civil society group known as SIKIKA.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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