laweyrs:constitution not targeting 2015 polls

nyabhingi · 2011-02-21T09:14:18+00:00

Lawyers: Constitution not targeting 2015 polls From MARC NKWAME in Arusha, 20th February 2011 @ 11:00, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 48 POLITICIANS hoping to ride on the proposed new constitution in the 2015 General Election are likely to be disappointed following observations by legal practitioners that the document may not be ready for the next polls. The lawyers who gathered here for the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) Annual General Meeting (AGM) warned that the new constitution is not about elections, nor will it be targeting 2015 polls. The meeting held on Sunday was preceded by a day-long discussion sessions under the theme: Constitutionalism and Constitution Making in Tanzania. The process will not be rushed to meet the 2015 deadline as most politicians would like it to be. If the new constitution is to serve the majority of people, then the exercise may take even a decade to be accomplished, stated the outgoing TLS President, Mr Felix Kibodya. Among the recommendations by members of the legal fraternity who met to discuss the proposed constitutional reforms is that the compilation of the new document would not target the next elections. Chances are that the new constitution will not even be ready by 2015. Our aim is to have sets of laws that will enable every Tanzanian to acquire his or her basic rights, live peacefully and be assured of development, said Mr Kibodya, when addressing reporters over the weekend. Many politicians have set their target for a new constitution shortly before the 2015 polls. They bank on amendments that will give them smooth sailing to power. We would like to state that politics or elections are not the priority of the new constitution, said Mr Kibodya, adding that as far as lawyers were concerned, the new document should be concerned with the welfare of the ordinary people. TLS will present their recommendations to the government some time in April this year. Later, they will set off to educate the people on the reforms as well as welcome their suggestions. Earlier on, during the TLS session in Arusha, Chief Justice Mohammed Othman Chande said the new constitution should entail day-to-day lives, activities and basic needs of ordinary Tanzanians. He instructed lawyers to translate those activities into legal language when working on the new constitution. In their recommendations, the lawyers echoed the CJs advice, emphasizing that politicians focusing on the elections as their yardstick for a new constitution were wrong. There are some parties that have already compiled draft constitutions. The process should not be taken hastily, said the TLS outgoing president. source;daily news,21/februay/2011

Thread starter nyabhingi
Start date Feb 21, 2011

nyabhingi

JF-Expert Member

Feb 21, 2011

Byendangwero

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