As discussions on Chapters 1 and 2 of the
constitutional draft is officially closed by the Constituent Assembly (CA), a reliable source has said that, a two tier
government structure has been proposed by all CA committees formed. The
Chairperson who leads CA committee No. 1 Ummy Mwalimu disclosed on Thursday
this week when briefing journalists the deliberations reached by her committee
members in Chapters 3 and 4 currently in
discussions by the CA. She said what the CA is waiting to do with chapters 1
and 2 is the voting process by all CA members scheduled in early September depending
on the completion of other Chapters. Currently, the CA which resumed its
sessions on Tuesday this week is discussing the remaining 15 Chapters of the
draft to be finished within 60 days which President Jakaya Kikwete had issued. The
first two Chapters, whose discussions consumed more time during the first phase
before adjournment of the CA sessions brought a mutual of misunderstanding
among members in the CA after the majority of CCM members wanted a two tier
government system. Others who formed a group of the so-called coalition of
defenders of people’s constitution known in its Kiswahili acronym ‘Ukawa’
opposed to the idea. They instead based on what was proposed in the draft by
the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) as people’s views who wants a three
tier government structure. Ukawa group ultimately decided to walk out of the
debating chamber leaving the majority CCM members who is currently going on
with the process. They recently made a declaration not to return back to the
CA. In her briefings for Chapters 3 and 4
Ummy said that, her committee has proposed for a new chapter to be formed
in the draft that would deal with issues of farmers and livestock keepers in
the country.
The
Minister of State in Vice-President’s office Ummy Mwalimu
The decision by the committee members has come after having realized
that in the draft presented by the CRC, the issue of farmers and livestock
keepers was not adequately elaborated bearing the fact that there are numerous
cases of land issues in the country. Presenting their proposals, Ummy noted
that, there is a need to prepare a new chapter that would elaborate land issue into
details as it touches most rural Tanzanians by adding more provisions that
would address it properly. She also noted that, the provision which talks about
the freedom of worship, her committee members unanimously agreed to leave it as
such. However, she added that, there should have been a government institution
which should directly be concerned with the registration of the religious
institutions and nothing else. Unlike today, the chairperson elaborated that,
there is a mushrooming of religious institutions operating in the country which
have no authentic registration status. So by having a single unified government
body this would help have an overall control of the establishment of such
institutions in the country. She also noted that, within Chapters No. 3 and 4
of the draft of constitution among the hot issues the committee came across is
the issue of freedom of media organizations. With this, her committee has
proposed that media organization would continue doing their work more freely so
that important information should reach the unprivileged groups notably people
with disabilities in rural areas in the country. Earlier, Ummy who is also a
Minister of State in Vice-President’s office affirmed that, in her committee
they have a total of 53 members out of which 33 comes from Tanzania mainland
while the rest are from Zanzibar.
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