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- Apr 10, 2008
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Although members of the Constituent Assembly (CA) have been in Dodoma for three weeks now, they are yet to start the agenda which brought them here.
The three weeks have been used to draft the CA standing orders. The CA interim chairman Pandu Ameir Kificho has been having a difficult time to keep the House, which has more than 600 members, in order.
On various occasions, he has been forced to adjourn a seminar discussing CA standing orders due to various factors.
From demanding an allowance increment to a political tension between the ruling and the opposition parties to corruption accusation and temper flare, the CA hasn't been short of drama.
Some CA members principally agreed that the CA has so far performed poorly. However, there are some members who have defended its performance.
Some people are arguing that the process has been ruined by politicians who use everything to push for their interests as well as the Constitution Review Act weaknesses.
According to Mr Ezekiah Oluoch (a representative of Trade Unions), the CA shouldn't have spent three weeks debating CA standing orders if it wasn't for the Constitution Review Act.
Mr Oluoch said the CA standing orders should have been prepared by the minister for Justice and Constitution Affairs.
According to him, the minister should have summoned stakeholders in public hearing and gather their views on how the CA standing orders should be.
"By now we should have started to discuss the draft of the new constitution but we are wasting time on the standing orders," said Mr Oluoch.
Democratic Party chairman Christopher Mtikila, who is also a CA member, is worried about the matter.
"Despite the fact that the time set for us to discuss the draft of the new constitution isn't enough bearing in mind we are drafting a constitution of more than 40 million people, the delays in drawing up standing orders is likely to harm the process," he said.
Mr Idrissa Kitwana Mustapha, a representative for non-governmental organisations in the CA, and Mr Fahmi Dovutwa from the opposition accused political parties which are represented in Parliament of ruining the process.
According to Mr Mustapha, Mr Kificho has been favouring politicians with big names.
He warned that there was no need for the President to appoint 201 members if MPs and members of the House of Representatives were to dominate the process.
"On various occasions, Mr Kificho has been forced to adjourn the seminar mainly because of mess brought by politicians who are doing everything in their power to make sure that their interests are preserved," said Mr Mustapha.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Yusuf Manyanga. According to Mr Manyanga, Mr Kificho is giving politicians more time than other members of the assembly.
The three weeks have been used to draft the CA standing orders. The CA interim chairman Pandu Ameir Kificho has been having a difficult time to keep the House, which has more than 600 members, in order.
On various occasions, he has been forced to adjourn a seminar discussing CA standing orders due to various factors.
From demanding an allowance increment to a political tension between the ruling and the opposition parties to corruption accusation and temper flare, the CA hasn't been short of drama.
Some CA members principally agreed that the CA has so far performed poorly. However, there are some members who have defended its performance.
Some people are arguing that the process has been ruined by politicians who use everything to push for their interests as well as the Constitution Review Act weaknesses.
According to Mr Ezekiah Oluoch (a representative of Trade Unions), the CA shouldn't have spent three weeks debating CA standing orders if it wasn't for the Constitution Review Act.
Mr Oluoch said the CA standing orders should have been prepared by the minister for Justice and Constitution Affairs.
According to him, the minister should have summoned stakeholders in public hearing and gather their views on how the CA standing orders should be.
"By now we should have started to discuss the draft of the new constitution but we are wasting time on the standing orders," said Mr Oluoch.
Democratic Party chairman Christopher Mtikila, who is also a CA member, is worried about the matter.
"Despite the fact that the time set for us to discuss the draft of the new constitution isn't enough bearing in mind we are drafting a constitution of more than 40 million people, the delays in drawing up standing orders is likely to harm the process," he said.
Mr Idrissa Kitwana Mustapha, a representative for non-governmental organisations in the CA, and Mr Fahmi Dovutwa from the opposition accused political parties which are represented in Parliament of ruining the process.
According to Mr Mustapha, Mr Kificho has been favouring politicians with big names.
He warned that there was no need for the President to appoint 201 members if MPs and members of the House of Representatives were to dominate the process.
"On various occasions, Mr Kificho has been forced to adjourn the seminar mainly because of mess brought by politicians who are doing everything in their power to make sure that their interests are preserved," said Mr Mustapha.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Yusuf Manyanga. According to Mr Manyanga, Mr Kificho is giving politicians more time than other members of the assembly.
