CA official programs to start next week

The official program detailing discussions of the second draft of the national constitution will have to go one week ahead pending delay of preparedness of the house standing orders that governs the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly (CA), an official of the Tanzania Constitutional Forum (TCF) has said. Speaking in a telephone interview last week in Dar es Salaam, the TCF’s Chairman Deus Kibamba who is worried about the matter said that, the official discussion on the draft of constitution is likely to start a week after. Judging from the short timeframe, Kibamba said that, there are certain important things to be done prior to the start including house standing orders. He said these should have been ready by now to guide the proceedings scheduled to take place 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 start later owing to the fact that, the important activities such as the swearing in of the new members and other things have to precede the formal arrangements an aspect which he said would consume time. Other activities which he said would delay the discussions includes the provision of working tools to members of the CA for which have to undergo the orientation seminar ones are sworn in to become full members, a tedious work which he said requires more preparations. However, he said the standing orders for the CA house are supposed to be prepared by the secretariat of the National Parliament office, and which should not relate with the normal National Parliamentary procedures.  He said as members would start pouring in Dodoma as from Monday next week, all of them are not aware of the basic standing orders that govern the CA house, including how to elect their Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson and other things. He said the procedural guidelines for the CA’s house depend entirely on the standing orders which should have been ready as per the Constitutional Review Act of 2013 states. However, he said all these should have been ready on time to let all Tanzanians give their opinions and know how the chairman is going to be elected as it is a public document he queried noting that all these are not known in the eyes of most Tanzanians. 

TCF’s Chairman Deus Kibamba contributing a point in a public debate about new constitution.

Responding on the issue, the Secretary of the National Assembly Dr. Thomas Kashilila admitted when contacted for comments in a telephone interview yesterday and said that, his office which works in collaboration with the House of Representatives of Zanzibar is currently finalizing the necessary reports. 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. Driving his points to the newly CA in the country which has about 640 members, he said more time would be consumed prior to start of the official sessions, however, he said there will be some other activities such as the appointments of the temporary Chairperson and the secretary. He said under Cap 83 of the Constitution Review Act of 2011, the CA members would choose their temporary Chairperson who would coordinate the activities of electing the Chairperson of the CA to conduct the whole session throughout. He said the temporary chairperson would also be responsible to handle three issues at a time which includes, ensuring the approval of the house standing orders by members, these he said would give directives on how the discussion procedures on every sections of the constitution would be done. After that, he continued, he or she would supervise the activities of voting to get a Chairperson and the Vice-Chair person, and finally would resign from the position  He said in the Constituent Assembly, ones a Chairman is chosen from the Tanzania mainland then the secretary of the house should hail from Zanzibar as in accordance to the Constitution Review Act of 2013. Likewise, he further noted that, if the chosen Chairman comes from Zanzibar, then the secretary should hail from Tanzania mainland. The secretaries in this case are those of the National Assembly and that of the House of Representatives from Zanzibar. The Chairperson after being selected by members, would lead the discussions on the constitutional review process throughout up to comes to an end and a draft would be presented for the referendum.