The chairman of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation and retired Prime Minister, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim (left), retired Prime Minister Joseph Warioba (centre) and Chadema secretary-general Willibrod Slaa during yesterday’s public forum in Dar es Salaam on the importance of the Constitution in the day-to-day lives of Tanzanians.
Dar es Salaam. The government and Chadema yesterday reportedly reached a compromise over the Constitution Review Act 2011 Bill.Impeccable sources confided to The Citizen that the deal was reached through a series of meetings and consultations which were initiated by one young MP in earnest on Wednesday.Debate on the Bill descended into chaos after Chadema MPs walked out of Parliament following their demand that the proposals should be tabled for the first reading in order to give wananchi more time to debate it, but this was flatly rejected by the government.
Frantic behind-the-scenes efforts by a number of serving and retired leaders to bring Chadema and the government together to negotiate a compromise on the on-going debate on the Bill started on Tuesday. However, consultations went on with the young MP acting as an intermediary between Chadema, the government and two former top national leaders.The source hinted that under the agreement, the government would today allow Chadema to table a list of amendments which it wants to be included in the Bill.
The two sides have reportedly also agreed that in order to give the Bill wider participation, major amendments should also be made in January next year to accommodate other views that would be collected from members of the public.The said compromise was reached after the government categorically refused to withdraw the Bill. But acting in good faith after the government agreed to talk, Chadema also agreed to loosen its stand.
However, asked yesterday if they had reached a compromise with the government over the Bill, the Chadema secretary general, Dr Willibrod Slaa, declined to give any comment. He said the government had no political will to embrace their sentiments. However, he said his party was ready for negotiations as the new constitution was a very important national issue.
“We are ready for negotiations provided that the government desists from embracing party ideologies. They must understand that this is a national issue and party politics should not be entertained,” he said.
Frantic behind-the-scenes efforts by a number of serving and retired leaders to bring Chadema and the government together to negotiate a compromise on the on-going debate on the Bill started on Tuesday. However, consultations went on with the young MP acting as an intermediary between Chadema, the government and two former top national leaders.The source hinted that under the agreement, the government would today allow Chadema to table a list of amendments which it wants to be included in the Bill.
The two sides have reportedly also agreed that in order to give the Bill wider participation, major amendments should also be made in January next year to accommodate other views that would be collected from members of the public.The said compromise was reached after the government categorically refused to withdraw the Bill. But acting in good faith after the government agreed to talk, Chadema also agreed to loosen its stand.
However, asked yesterday if they had reached a compromise with the government over the Bill, the Chadema secretary general, Dr Willibrod Slaa, declined to give any comment. He said the government had no political will to embrace their sentiments. However, he said his party was ready for negotiations as the new constitution was a very important national issue.
“We are ready for negotiations provided that the government desists from embracing party ideologies. They must understand that this is a national issue and party politics should not be entertained,” he said.
However, sources confided to The Citizen that the negotiations involved indirect consultations between Dr Slaa on one side and a high ranking government official on the other through the young MP and two former leaders.
Earlier, the sources hinted that it was not easy to bring the contending parties to the negotiating table “because every side is thinking of political implications of accepting the position of the other.”
On the other hand, NCCR-Mageuzi MPs announced yesterday that if the Bill would be passed today as it is, they would join Chadema in its mission to conduct a parallel move to write a new constitution.
Earlier, the sources hinted that it was not easy to bring the contending parties to the negotiating table “because every side is thinking of political implications of accepting the position of the other.”
On the other hand, NCCR-Mageuzi MPs announced yesterday that if the Bill would be passed today as it is, they would join Chadema in its mission to conduct a parallel move to write a new constitution.
Investigations by The Citizen established that underground efforts to bring Chadema and the government to the negotiating table started on Tuesday. This was a day after Chadema MPs walked out of Parliament in protest of the government move to table the Bill for the second reading.
The moves involved two retired top government officials, who reached out to the government and urged it to relax its stance and listen to Chadema demands.
They argued that the constitution issue should not be partisan but, as one of major stakeholders in the processing of the Bill, Chadema should not be allowed to stay out of the debate.
The moves involved two retired top government officials, who reached out to the government and urged it to relax its stance and listen to Chadema demands.
They argued that the constitution issue should not be partisan but, as one of major stakeholders in the processing of the Bill, Chadema should not be allowed to stay out of the debate.
Later, the two former leaders contacted Chadema through Dr Slaa who indicated that the party was open to discussions if the government was sincerely ready to listen to its demands.
In an exclusive interview with this paper in Tuesday, the Chadema deputy secretary general, Mr Kabwe Zitto, wondered where were the notable statesmen to give the nation the needed direction at this troubled time.
He hinted that he was going to take personal initiatives to entice top leaders of the government and his party to reach a compromise over the issue.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the former secretary of the defunct Organisation of African Unity, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, called for sobriety in the new constitution debate.
Speaking on the sidelines of a symposium organised by the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation on the new constitution, he urged all contending parties to come together and negotiate the issue to reach an amicable compromise.
In Dodoma, the Parliament extended the time for debating the Bill to today, ostensibly to give ministers time to prepare answers to comments by MPs during the debate which started on Monday.
Meanwhile, the former head of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), Dr Hassy Kitine, yesterday cautioned the government not to continue processing the Constitutional Review Bill amid protests from the public against the process.
Speaking at a workshop focusing on Tanzania Constitution and Ethics organised by the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (MNF), he said: “The government could better read signs and know what wananchi want on issues of national interest.”
He added that Chadema’s action to move out of parliament and other protests in the country should be taken into consideration. Former Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim, who is the MNF chairman, also called for an amicable debate on the ongoing new constitution process.
“This is the time we need to stick to our national foundations namely unity, humanity, peace and democracy,” he said.He argued that the formation of constitution was a tough exercise that required wide knowledge and intensified citizens’ participation.
In an exclusive interview with this paper in Tuesday, the Chadema deputy secretary general, Mr Kabwe Zitto, wondered where were the notable statesmen to give the nation the needed direction at this troubled time.
He hinted that he was going to take personal initiatives to entice top leaders of the government and his party to reach a compromise over the issue.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the former secretary of the defunct Organisation of African Unity, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, called for sobriety in the new constitution debate.
Speaking on the sidelines of a symposium organised by the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation on the new constitution, he urged all contending parties to come together and negotiate the issue to reach an amicable compromise.
In Dodoma, the Parliament extended the time for debating the Bill to today, ostensibly to give ministers time to prepare answers to comments by MPs during the debate which started on Monday.
Meanwhile, the former head of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), Dr Hassy Kitine, yesterday cautioned the government not to continue processing the Constitutional Review Bill amid protests from the public against the process.
Speaking at a workshop focusing on Tanzania Constitution and Ethics organised by the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (MNF), he said: “The government could better read signs and know what wananchi want on issues of national interest.”
He added that Chadema’s action to move out of parliament and other protests in the country should be taken into consideration. Former Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim, who is the MNF chairman, also called for an amicable debate on the ongoing new constitution process.
“This is the time we need to stick to our national foundations namely unity, humanity, peace and democracy,” he said.He argued that the formation of constitution was a tough exercise that required wide knowledge and intensified citizens’ participation.
SOURCE; The Citzen
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