Kikwete forms constitution team
By DAILY NEWS Reporter, 31st December 2010
PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete on Friday broke his silence on constitutional reform saying that he has formed a Special Commission to oversee the required review following a heated national debate on the matter.
In his New Year's message welcoming 2011, President Kikwete said that the commission would be headed by a competent lawyer and comprises representatives of all sections of the society from both sides of the Union.
Recently political parties, academicians, religious organizations and a cross section of the public have been engaged in a hot debate of whether the current constitution should be overhauled, amended or remain untouched.
The president's stance comes few days after Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda told editors that he would personally initiate the process by advising the president to form a panel to oversee the process of reviewing the constitution.
"The primary function of the commission will be to oversee and co-ordinate the process that will involve all people without discriminating political parties, businessmen, community based organizations, religious organizations, academicians and other people within and outside the country," the president declared.
According to him, upon completion of receiving recommendation, the commission will submit its report to relevant constitutional organs for further decisions.
"After reaching an agreement, our nation will have a new constitution to be applicable on an agreed date," President Kikwete told the nation in his speech broadcast by TV and radio stations on Friday evening.
"Our existing constitution, which was acquired from our founders, has done a lot of good things and has brought us and the nation here. We've got one independent country, with mature democracy, good governance and stable rule of law.
Ours is a country with peace, harmony and political stability whose people live in peace and love," noted the president. He warned, however, that members of the public should not be used as sacrificial lambs by some politicians.
The president was optimistic that the process would be conducted in an atmosphere of peace, harmony and sobriety to enable all people to air their views despite diversity of opinions.
He cautioned that undue pressure, emotions and hatred should not prevail during the process as such approach may cost the country and render the whole process meaningless and costly.
President Kikwete said that the decision to allow the process was one of four key decisions reached by him and other leaders. He mentioned other decisions as the 50th anniversary of of independence to be held this year.
The decisions also include an indepth assessment of achievements made in the past 50 years and special trade fairs to be held at Mwalimu Nyerere Trade Fair grounds in Dar es Salaam and throughout the country to showcase achievements made in the past 50 years of the independence.
On power tariffs, the president asked the public to accept new arrangements due to the prevailing commercial and economic situation. He called on them to ignore politicians who had politicized the tariff hike.
Mr Kikwete told the nation that within the next 12 months, Tanesco will increase power output by 160MW and in the next 36 months the effort will see another 970MW from various power projects.
The president finally wished all the 'wananchi' a happy and prosperous New Year.