CA official programs rescheduled one week ahead

The official program detailing discussions of the second draft of the National Constitution which was earlier slated to officially begin on Monday next week, has been rescheduled one week ahead. Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday from Dodoma, Tanzania’s National Assembly Clerk Dr. Thomas Kashilila said that, the date for the official opening has been prolonged due to the delay of the approval of the house standing orders which he said will take time for the members of the Constituent Assembly (CA) to discuss in order to accept provisions endorsed in it. Earlier, it was anticipated that if these were in place, then the house could officially be opened on the proposed day by President Jakaya Kikwete, he said. Giving reasons for delay, the Chief Clerk clarified that, it was due to tightened schedule activities his office had to undergo that forced other things like the preparations for the CA matters to move in a slow pace an aspect which has inconvenienced the whole program. “Unless the standing orders are approved by the CA members as this will give room for other things to follow such as the election of the House Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson” he said adding that, the house procedures have to be guided and strictly observed by the standing orders. 

Tanzania’s National Assembly Clerk Dr. Thomas Kashilila

 On how the Constituent Assembly will be conducted, Kashilila said the interim Chairman Amir Pandu Kificho will oversee the approval of the Assembly’s standing orders and later will also supervise the election of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson as per section 22 (1) of the Constitutional Review Act 2013. According to the Act after getting the chairperson and Vice Chairperson, secretary and deputy secretary will also be selected. He said according to the law if the chairperson comes from one part of the Union, the Secretary will come from the other part of the Union. The same procedure will apply to get the vice chairperson. Comprising over 600 members, the assembly includes the over 350 Members of the Union Parliament, over 80 Members of House of Representatives and the 201 members recently appointed by President Kikwete. Earlier Kashilila was quoted on Wednesday this week as saying that, “after being elected the chairperson will not be sworn in until the secretary and deputy are sworn in by the Union President Dr Jakaya Kikwete”. “Thereafter the activities of the constituent assembly will commence officially because after taking the oath, the secretary will have the obligation to swear in the chairperson and the vice chairperson. The Chairperson will swear in all members of the constituent assembly. After the completion of all these exercises which he assumed would consume more time, the Chairman will have to table a draft of the second constitution and thereby opening a general discussion to all members in CA.  In Dar es Salaam, the Tanzania Constitution Forum’s Chairman Deus Kibamba who is worried about the delay said these should have been ready by now to guide the proceedings in the CA according to Cap 223, sections No. 23, 24 and 25 as endorsed in the Constitution Review Act 2013.  But to his great surprise, Kibamba noted that, the proceedings might take long time than anticipated before and might see the 70 days are not enough for the discussion process. He said the procedural guidelines for the CA’s house depend entirely on the standing orders which should have been ready as earlier enough as per the Constitutional Review Act of 2013 states. He further said that, in every Parliament in the world when there are new members as the case of the Constituent Assembly, a lot of time is consumed to accomplish the necessary arrangements prior to the start of the official sessions.