BY WARYOBA YANKAMI
31st December 2013
Majority views want three govts JK: Put aside political differences
Presenting the draft to Presidents Jakaya Kikwete and Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, CRC Chairperson Justice (rtd) Joseph Warioba said majority 61percent of Tanzanians who aired their views want a three – tier government structure.
He said out of more than 39,000 people who gave their views in Tanzanian Mainland; 13 percent suggested a single government, 24 percent were for two governments, and 61 per cent recommended three governments.
In Zanzibar, of the nearly 38,000 people who aired their views, 34 percent were for two governments, 60 percent for contract government and 0.1 percent opted for one government.
He said the draft maintained most of its proposed articles that also include Presidential Powers, The Union, National Vision, Leadership Ethics and Code of Conduct and Human Rights.
Justice Warioba said unlike in the first draft where only seven matters were identified as Union matters, the second draft consists of eight.
Citizenship is the additional Union matter in which the citizens from Zanzibar and Mainland will have equal rights including land ownership.
He pointed out that during collection of views the commission when collecting views noted concern in eight areas on the Union from Zanzibar people and ten from people in the Mainland on the Union.
He said in Zanzibar people claim that the Mainland has monopolised the Union, denying the Isles a fair participation.
People in the Mainland maintained that the Isles government had its own flag, national anthem, its constitution and citizens from Tanzania mainland could not own land in the island.
“We had to consider the modality by which we can save the union,” he said, adding: “The three governments will enable all the concerns to be addressed.”
He cited the Nyalali and Justice Kisanga Commissions, political parties, Non-Government Organizations, Prime Minister’s Office and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) saying all were for three governments.
Justice Warioba said the new draft will contain 271 articles, an increase of 31 from the first draft.
The draft also suggests that the Union government get its revenue from excise duty. In addition the draft proposes the establishment of reconciliation and
coordination commission under the Union Vice President.
Meanwhile President Kikwete addressing the gathering of senior government officials, members of the cabinet, legislators and members of diplomatic corps said for the constituency assembly to succeed in its work, members must bury their political differences.
He warned that if members of the assembly failed to reach a consensus for the constitution, it was likely that the country will use the current constitution during the 2015 general election.
He called on groups which had not submitted names for the constituent assembly to immediately do so for further approval.
“The assembly is the prime stage towards getting a new constitution. The entire group should represent people and not particular interests,” he said.
He said according to the constitutional Review Act he has to ensure that the constituent assembly sits 21 days after the second draft is submitted.
NCCR-Mageuzi National Chairman James Mbatia applauded the stage reached by CRC calling for an inclusive agreement between members of the Constituent Assembly before the commencement of its work.
CUF national Chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba expressed worry over the costs of running the proposed three governments, urging politicians to put aside their differences to produce a document that will benefit the entire country. Dr Kitila Mkumbo, Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, said the proposal for three governments has come at the right time after being proposed many times without success.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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