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The date of the referendum has been a contentious issue since President Jakaya Kikwete announced, while in China in February, that the vote on the proposed constitution would be held in April
Dodoma. Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has finally conceded that it will not be easy to hold the referendum for the proposed constitution before the October General Election.
The Central Committee of the party, which ended its two-day meeting in Dodoma yesterday, also saw sense in the argument on time constraints and advised the government to shelve the referendum. Briefing reporters after the meeting, CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye said party members have realised that, given the limited time and mounting tasks, it is unrealistic to expect the the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to pull off the referendum.
The date of the referendum has been a contentious issue since President Jakaya Kikwete announced, while in China in February, that the vote on the proposed constitution would be held in April. The authorities brushed aside Opposition arguments questioning the probability of the vote taking place on that date. The high-powered naysayers included President Kikwete, Premier Mizengo Pinda and NEC.
With reality getting clearer by the day, the exercise was postponed indefinitely and, in a meeting that ended yesterday, CCM's Central Committee advised the government to get together with NEC and come up with an appropriate date for the referendum that will not interfere with General Election preparations.
According to the General Election regulations, 60 days should be allotted to voter education and another 30 days for campaigning after voter registration is completed. "Given this scenario, it is not possible for NEC to make effective preparations for the General Election while at the same time preparing the referendum," Mr Nnauye said. "That is why the Central Committee has agreed to advise the government and NEC to push the referendum ahead."
He was quick to add, though, that the party was only offering advice and was not in a position to suggest when the referendum should be held. "The date of the referendum will be determined according to the law," he added. "We (CCM), being an institution, only advises according to the prevailing conditions."
The party is reportedly aware that stakeholders prefer that the referendum be held after the General Election, but that sentiment would call for amendments to the law--and the government and NEC would have to meet and discuss the proposal.
When she recently requested the National Assembly to approve a Sh223.869 billion budget for her ministry's 2015/2016 budget, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister Asha-Rose Migiro said the government would focus on co-ordinating the process of getting Tanzania a new constitution.
But Chadema's Tundu Lissu objected to that position on the grounds that the referendum could not be held this year, given the legal implications.
Still, Dr Migiro noted that the law empowers the authorities responsible for the poll--in this case, the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Second Vice President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar--to make changes without necessarily seeking Parliament's approval.
In the meantime, Zanzibar First Vice President Seif Sharif Hamad separately met President Kikwete and Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein in closed-door talks that only a handful of confidants attended.
Mr Hamad met Dr Shein on Friday in Zanzibar's State House before flying to Dodoma, where he held talks with President Kikwete yesterday morning.
The State House Director of Communication, Mr Salva Rweyemamu, confirmed the meeting but, like other sources, he could not go into details of the agenda. Speaking after the meeting, which took nearly three hours, Mr Rweyemamu said the two leaders discussed national and international issues.
"If you want details on what they discussed, contact Maalim Seif and President Kikwete," Mr Rweyemamu said. "I am not going to tell you more than what I have already said." The secretary of Zanzibar's President, Mr Haroub Shaibu, also declined to shed light on the talks.
He added: "Please, contact Maalim Seif for more details because I am in Zanzibar and the President is in Dodoma and his press secretary has not gone to Dodoma because the Honourable has gone for party meetings. I am not aware of what you are telling me about the meeting." Mr Hamad's secretary, Mr Issa Kheir, said the First Vice President had been the one to request the meetings.
"On Friday, he met with Dr Shein for 45 minutes at around 3pm and today (yesterday), at around 9am, he met President Kikwete before returning to Zanzibar," Mr Rweyemamu said. "I don't know what was discussed because we were not allowed into the room. In fact, no assistant was allowed into the room."
(Additional reporting by Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar)
Dodoma. Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has finally conceded that it will not be easy to hold the referendum for the proposed constitution before the October General Election.
The Central Committee of the party, which ended its two-day meeting in Dodoma yesterday, also saw sense in the argument on time constraints and advised the government to shelve the referendum. Briefing reporters after the meeting, CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye said party members have realised that, given the limited time and mounting tasks, it is unrealistic to expect the the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to pull off the referendum.
The date of the referendum has been a contentious issue since President Jakaya Kikwete announced, while in China in February, that the vote on the proposed constitution would be held in April. The authorities brushed aside Opposition arguments questioning the probability of the vote taking place on that date. The high-powered naysayers included President Kikwete, Premier Mizengo Pinda and NEC.
With reality getting clearer by the day, the exercise was postponed indefinitely and, in a meeting that ended yesterday, CCM's Central Committee advised the government to get together with NEC and come up with an appropriate date for the referendum that will not interfere with General Election preparations.
According to the General Election regulations, 60 days should be allotted to voter education and another 30 days for campaigning after voter registration is completed. "Given this scenario, it is not possible for NEC to make effective preparations for the General Election while at the same time preparing the referendum," Mr Nnauye said. "That is why the Central Committee has agreed to advise the government and NEC to push the referendum ahead."
He was quick to add, though, that the party was only offering advice and was not in a position to suggest when the referendum should be held. "The date of the referendum will be determined according to the law," he added. "We (CCM), being an institution, only advises according to the prevailing conditions."
The party is reportedly aware that stakeholders prefer that the referendum be held after the General Election, but that sentiment would call for amendments to the law--and the government and NEC would have to meet and discuss the proposal.
When she recently requested the National Assembly to approve a Sh223.869 billion budget for her ministry's 2015/2016 budget, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister Asha-Rose Migiro said the government would focus on co-ordinating the process of getting Tanzania a new constitution.
But Chadema's Tundu Lissu objected to that position on the grounds that the referendum could not be held this year, given the legal implications.
Still, Dr Migiro noted that the law empowers the authorities responsible for the poll--in this case, the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Second Vice President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar--to make changes without necessarily seeking Parliament's approval.
In the meantime, Zanzibar First Vice President Seif Sharif Hamad separately met President Kikwete and Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein in closed-door talks that only a handful of confidants attended.
Mr Hamad met Dr Shein on Friday in Zanzibar's State House before flying to Dodoma, where he held talks with President Kikwete yesterday morning.
The State House Director of Communication, Mr Salva Rweyemamu, confirmed the meeting but, like other sources, he could not go into details of the agenda. Speaking after the meeting, which took nearly three hours, Mr Rweyemamu said the two leaders discussed national and international issues.
"If you want details on what they discussed, contact Maalim Seif and President Kikwete," Mr Rweyemamu said. "I am not going to tell you more than what I have already said." The secretary of Zanzibar's President, Mr Haroub Shaibu, also declined to shed light on the talks.
He added: "Please, contact Maalim Seif for more details because I am in Zanzibar and the President is in Dodoma and his press secretary has not gone to Dodoma because the Honourable has gone for party meetings. I am not aware of what you are telling me about the meeting." Mr Hamad's secretary, Mr Issa Kheir, said the First Vice President had been the one to request the meetings.
"On Friday, he met with Dr Shein for 45 minutes at around 3pm and today (yesterday), at around 9am, he met President Kikwete before returning to Zanzibar," Mr Rweyemamu said. "I don't know what was discussed because we were not allowed into the room. In fact, no assistant was allowed into the room."
(Additional reporting by Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar)
