Kikwete, Chadema reach consensus

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete will soon sign into law the Constitutional Review Bill following a two-day meeting with a delegation from the opposition Chadema that apparently held different views.

This means that the review process will start anytime from now, putting to an end heated debate and forums on the same that recently dominated the country’s political scene.

A press statement signed by the Minister for Information, Culture and Youth, Mr Emmanuel Nchimbi, and Chadema Acting Secretary General John Mnyika reiterated that the meeting was conducted in a friendly atmosphere.

The five-hour long meeting that started from 10am at the State House in Dar es Salaam on Monday, concluded that despite the Bill being passed by Parliament, it would be amended if and when necessary for it to win public trust and national consensus.

The two parties also underscored the need for frequent communications and cooperation between the government and other stakeholders on improving the law to maintain national consensus during the constitutional review process.

The CHADEMA delegation was led by the party’s National Chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe. On Sunday, President Kikwete received recommendations on constitution review from CHADEMA. Both parties agreed that the process should adhere to the interest of the nation much as it should also refrain from dividing the public according to their religion, tribe and region.

Last week, CHADEMA sought the president’s audience over the constitutional review Bill after their bid to stop a second tabling of the constitutional review Bill in parliament by staging a walk-out failed.

Demonstrations planned by activists scheduled for Saturday to press President Kikwete not to sign into law the constitutional review Act were banned by police for fear that they would escalate into chaos.

The opposition party formed a special committee in the same week, which held the two-day talks with the president from Sunday to present their recommendations on constitution review.

CHADEMA National Chairman Mr Freeman Mbowe told journalists earlier in the week that he feared the president might be fed with wrong information about his party’s stance.

During the last Bunge session, Chadema and NCCR-Mageuzi MPs walked out of the National Assembly in protest of the second reading and passing of Constitutional Review Bill 2011.

The walk-out was effected shortly after the Shadow Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Mr Tundu Lissu, who is also the chief whip, presented the views of the opposition camp.

Mr Lissu demanded that the government should present the Bill for the first reading, claiming that tabling it for second reading was contrary to standing orders, further noting that it had many amendments.

He said the people should get enough time to go through it.

President Kikwete had agreed to a request by CHADEMA leaders for a meeting to discuss the constitution review bill.

A statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications noted that the meeting with CHADEMA was the first in a series of meetings the president plans to hold with leaders of opposition political parties and other stakeholders over the process to get a new constitution.

Last week, the ruling CCM advised the president to meet with all opposition parties with parliamentary seats on the matter instead of CHADEMA alone.

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