Ok, read the Act.. It is very good (by our standards ) in fact. I think there are problems but it is clearly not on a level that people have claimed. I think one of the major problems is that people who have critiqued this Bill know little or nothing about statutory interpretation.
In my opinion there are several sections that are contentious. They are as follows:
s.11(4) banning donations to private candidates contrary to the ruling of the CA which held that private candidates should be allowed until otherwise decided. So the failure of the Government to amend this Act in accordance with this is a major problem as it contradicts a ruling by our supreme court.
This is true and it is a big problem as it stands right now. But not just that.. forcing all contributions to go to a a political party and all expenses should of the election to have to be incurred by a political party is fundamentally problematic and I will unconstitutional.
Kwanini mimi kama mgombea (hata nikiwa kwenye chama) nisiweze kuandaa timu yangu ya kampeni na kutafuta funds zangu halali kuendesha kampeni hizo? Itakuwaje huko kwenye chama ambako tutajikuta tunagombania kidogo kilichopo (hasa kwa vyama vidogo)? Je vyama ambavyo ni vya upinzani vina uwezo gani wa kuchangisha fedha hadharani kulinganisha na kama CCM ambayo kwa kila kipimo ndiyo itakuwa mfaidika mkuu?
Lakini vile vile.. kwanini mimi kama raia ambaye nataka kumuunga mkono mgombea wa chama fulani ambaye si wachama changu lakini namkubali kwanini nilazimishwe kutoa mchango kwa chama kizima kingine badala ya yule mgombea wangu tu? Sheria hii inafanya kile kinachokatazwa na Katiba kulazimisha watu kujiunga na vyama vya siasa kwa taathira yake. Lakini kama wanaoweza kuchangia fedha za uchaguzi si lazima wawe wanavyama wa vyama vya kisiasa kwanini wagombea lazima wawe na vyama?
s.12(3)(a) and(b) People have complained that s.12(1) prohibits foreign funding, which i think is absolutely correct because how do you know that it is Tanzanian diaspora and not Iranian or CIA operatives that are funding the parties au Tendwa atakuwa na special UN jurisdiction to investigate outside our borders. This provision is essential but at the same time almost paradoxically cancels itself out by allowing the same practice if done 3 or 1 month in advance of the nomination process with respect to Parliament, President and Councillors. But it is a political balance or at least attempted balance, to be rectified by jurisprudence and/or amendment through public pressure.
This presume that all the CIA, Iranians operatives etc live outside Tanzania? Why doesn't the law ban foreigners in the country from contributing to political parties in TZ? Je, serikali ipokee msaada kutoka UN, USAID n.k kwenye shughuli za kisiasa lakini ikataze michango ya Watanzania walioko Rwanda, Burundi au Kenya simply kuwa wako nje?
Kama hili ni kweli, leo hii hao Watanzania wanaingia mamilioni ya shilingi na vitu kila siku na kila mwaka na tunajuaje kama wote siyo CIA? Kwanini tukataze kwenye siasa wakati tunakubali kwenye dini? Yaani, tunapotuma fedha kusaidia ndugu zetu tunaonesha uzalendo lakini tunapochangia kwenye siasa za nchi yetu tuitwe ni "operatives" of a foreign nation? I would say its a classic case of supreme absurdity.
s.21(3) This is the one that has been highlighted na BIC kabisaa. Well the reason for leaving that lacuna is because of the floodgates argument, that there would be so many disputes brought before the Courts on this issue and it will be difficult to convict any criminal case because the mens rea would be almost impossible to prove. And since election disputes, especially between candidates are time barred, by the Courts decide and appeals are lodged, 5 years GONE! So this would only serve to cripple our already crippled Judiciary. So again, the lacuna is left because closing it would create an administrative nightmare and would not effectively cull the practice anyway, thus failing any prudent cost-benefit analysis.
Je ni kesi zipi nyingi zinaingia kwenye mahakama zetu, za uchaguzi au uhalifu? Kama lengo ni kufungua mahakama zetu.. unafikiri ni kwa kuharakisha suala la kesi hizi? Naweza kukubaliana lakini inajaribu kutatua tatizo lisilokuwepo.
Moving on, S.28(3) is one that struck me as a problem given that Tanzania is one of those 'Politburo-type' states in some sense. Providing security to candidates is noble and essential (as done in some other countries such as the US etc), but barring a candidate from hiring private security (which would not really influence voters..as that seems to be the main theme of the Act) seems like the ideal way to spy and possibly harm or undermine the efforts of a candidate.. opposition to be precise.. Agents wa Usalama wa Taifa wako impartial kweli?? This could in turn undermine democracy rather than defend it. This mandatory Government provided security thing is bad, the Act will need to be amended to make it optional.
As a matter of fact.. serikali pekee ndiyo inatakiwa kusimamia usalama wa wanasiasa na siyo mashabiki au taasisi huru. Hiki ni kipengele ninachokubaliana nacho kwani tukiacha wagombea waanze kuleta walinzi wao, je hao walinzi wataruhusiwa kubeba silaha? Je wataruhusiwa kubeba silaha mashuleni.. je ikija kutokea kuna tokea ugomvi kati ya mashabiki hawa na wale na walinzi wa pande zote wana silaha who will call the shots?
There are several other minor issue that could potentially be problematic and they will obviously need to be looked at. On the whole, however, this Bill and soon to be Act, will revolutionize political practices in a way and ensure Tanzania stays the most democratic state in this region. It will greatly increase out international prestige (especially relative to our bickering neighbours who all want to kill one another).
I don't think so; I think this law is the greatest threat to our democracy. Haijaangaliwa kwa ukaribu. Nitakupa mfano mwepesi: Sheria imeweka kiwango kwa mtu mmoja kuchangia ni Shilingi laki tano.. lakini haisemi kama mtu huyo mwenye milioni 20 akizigawa kwa watu mbalimbali na kuchangia itakuwa kosa au la!? Sheria inasema kiasi cha juu kinachoweza kutolewa na taasisi ni shilingi milioni moja, lakini haisemi itakuwaje kama taasisi hiyo ina matawi ambayo yanajitegemea, je ni kiwango hicho hicho kwa taasisi nzima au hata kwa kila tawi la taasisi hiyo? Itakuwaje kama taasisi itatenga shilingi milioni 200 na kuzigawanya kwa matawi yake ili kila tawi litoe mchango kwa vyama vya siasa?
Na je ninapochangia shilingi laki moja kwa Chama cha Siasa Dar, naruhusiwa kuchangia chama hicho hicho huko Mbeya au Tabora?
In inference I wish to disagree with the frequent hyperbolic statements that have been said about this Bill, that it is 'the worst law in our statute book' and that it will 'destroy democracy'... mara sijui 'it is the worst law' I have ever seen. This is all the talk of the mob which in particular have little regard for. But as stated above, there are major issues that need to be addressed including the possibility of ignoring the supreme judicial court in Tanzania, the CA. This would be very damaging as precedence and the President and the August House would be seen an monkeys of a lower caliber than the average Homo Sapiens.
to brand some of us who oppose this law as to be "the mob" is injustice to our reasoning and a direct assault to our competence to rationally propose arguments. Siamini kwa vile wewe unaiunga mkono ina maana you belong to a certain superior group (not a mob of course!).