Chief Isike
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 17, 2010
- 445
- 462
Dar es Salaam. The government said yesterday it has no intention of amending the recently assented to Constitutional Review Act 2011, adding that it was now awaiting the President to form a law review commission to coordinate the process of collecting views from various stakeholders.
The governments position was given by the minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Ms Celina Kombani, when responding to questions by journalists during a graduation ceremony at the Dar es Salaam School of Journalism (DSJ).She said after President Jakaya Kikwete had assented to the Bill into law, it did not mean doors for collecting views from stakeholders were closed.
Ms Kombani said the law could be amended any time, noting, however, that this could only be done after the President had formed a constitutional review commission.
The ministers statement dashed expectations by various stakeholders, including some Opposition political parties and civil society organisations, that the Constitutional Review Act 2011 could have been amended to accommodate fresh views before the President formed the commission.
A few days before the President assented to the law, the government and the Opposition Chadema agreed in principle that the newly-passed Bill for the Constitutional Review Act 2011 needed major amendments.
A joint statement issued yesterday by the two sides at the end of two days of consultations, said the Bill should be improved for national consensus as well as cohesion.
The two sides also agreed during closed-door talks that there was a need for the government and other stakeholders to hold constant meetings and consultations, for the purpose of building and strengthening national consensus during the process of crafting a new Constitution.
On the other hand, the government believed that the Bill was perfect and President Kikwete indicated that he would endorse it despite sentiments from Chadema and activists including those under the banner of Tanzania Constitution Forum (TCF).
Among other issues, Chadema was opposed to giving the President powers to select members of the constitutional review body and proposed that there be two commissions.However, Ms Kombani said yesterday that the President needed to form a commission which would then sit down with him to evaluate the suggestions given by various stakeholders.
She said the suggestions that would be approved by the commission would be submitted to the government for amendments. She said that based on such a fact, amending an Act could be made anytime if there was basis for it.
Assenting to the Bill does not mean that the President ignored other stakeholders rather he did it so that he could formulate a commission to help him in evaluating the suggestions, clarified Ms Kombani.
During the graduation ceremony, Ms Kombani also urged journalists to sensitise members of the public and help in conveying the latters suggestions concerning the content of the new Constitution.
President Jakaya Kikwete signed the Bill for Constitutional Review Act 2011, in late November, this year, going against various political parties and activists who claimed that the public was not given enough time to discuss the document and air their views.
Most said the government was supposed to establish awareness creating committees before the Bill was passed by Parliament or signed into law. Some also blamed the government for denying people justice by taking the Constitutional Review Bill to Parliament despite the fact that many Tanzanians know little about the countrys existing supreme law.
Many opined that people were supposed to be educated on the current Constitution so that they could decide whether it was good or bad. A majority of wananchi are not in a position to contribute at this level, they said.
They suggested that before the Bill was signed into law, the government should have used non-governmental organisations to collect the peoples views on what should constitute the contents of the new laws.
Ms Kombani also promised to help the schools administration to establish its own buildings within the city after it had earlier appealed for help because it needed to expand its college. A total of 620 students were awarded various certificates ranging from basic and advanced certificates as well as diplomas.
Source; The Citizen la leo. Ingawa naona kuna some mistakes za ama mwandishi au mhariri wake katika habari hii, haraka au uelewa wa jambo lenyewe. Ukisoma vizuri utaweza kuona.
The governments position was given by the minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Ms Celina Kombani, when responding to questions by journalists during a graduation ceremony at the Dar es Salaam School of Journalism (DSJ).She said after President Jakaya Kikwete had assented to the Bill into law, it did not mean doors for collecting views from stakeholders were closed.
Ms Kombani said the law could be amended any time, noting, however, that this could only be done after the President had formed a constitutional review commission.
The ministers statement dashed expectations by various stakeholders, including some Opposition political parties and civil society organisations, that the Constitutional Review Act 2011 could have been amended to accommodate fresh views before the President formed the commission.
A few days before the President assented to the law, the government and the Opposition Chadema agreed in principle that the newly-passed Bill for the Constitutional Review Act 2011 needed major amendments.
A joint statement issued yesterday by the two sides at the end of two days of consultations, said the Bill should be improved for national consensus as well as cohesion.
The two sides also agreed during closed-door talks that there was a need for the government and other stakeholders to hold constant meetings and consultations, for the purpose of building and strengthening national consensus during the process of crafting a new Constitution.
On the other hand, the government believed that the Bill was perfect and President Kikwete indicated that he would endorse it despite sentiments from Chadema and activists including those under the banner of Tanzania Constitution Forum (TCF).
Among other issues, Chadema was opposed to giving the President powers to select members of the constitutional review body and proposed that there be two commissions.However, Ms Kombani said yesterday that the President needed to form a commission which would then sit down with him to evaluate the suggestions given by various stakeholders.
She said the suggestions that would be approved by the commission would be submitted to the government for amendments. She said that based on such a fact, amending an Act could be made anytime if there was basis for it.
Assenting to the Bill does not mean that the President ignored other stakeholders rather he did it so that he could formulate a commission to help him in evaluating the suggestions, clarified Ms Kombani.
During the graduation ceremony, Ms Kombani also urged journalists to sensitise members of the public and help in conveying the latters suggestions concerning the content of the new Constitution.
President Jakaya Kikwete signed the Bill for Constitutional Review Act 2011, in late November, this year, going against various political parties and activists who claimed that the public was not given enough time to discuss the document and air their views.
Most said the government was supposed to establish awareness creating committees before the Bill was passed by Parliament or signed into law. Some also blamed the government for denying people justice by taking the Constitutional Review Bill to Parliament despite the fact that many Tanzanians know little about the countrys existing supreme law.
Many opined that people were supposed to be educated on the current Constitution so that they could decide whether it was good or bad. A majority of wananchi are not in a position to contribute at this level, they said.
They suggested that before the Bill was signed into law, the government should have used non-governmental organisations to collect the peoples views on what should constitute the contents of the new laws.
Ms Kombani also promised to help the schools administration to establish its own buildings within the city after it had earlier appealed for help because it needed to expand its college. A total of 620 students were awarded various certificates ranging from basic and advanced certificates as well as diplomas.
Source; The Citizen la leo. Ingawa naona kuna some mistakes za ama mwandishi au mhariri wake katika habari hii, haraka au uelewa wa jambo lenyewe. Ukisoma vizuri utaweza kuona.