Despite the fact that the House of Representatives encourages ordinary people to discuss and present their opinions on proposed Bills, the response remains poor, the House Clerk, Mr Yahya Khamis Hamad, said.
House of Representatives in Zanzibar
Briefing journalists about the changes in law process, Yahya said the aim is to widen participation of the public in the making of laws in Zanzibar and that constructive comments from all groups of people are welcomed before “the laws are discussed and approved by the legislators.”
“The proposed Bills are available at my office and on the Assembly’s website. We want people to give us their views before the session resumes on 9th October, this year.
We have four Bills to table in the next session, we want inputs from the people,” he said. He named the proposed Bills as an Act to amend various laws of the land’; an Act to repeal the trade law no. 4 of 1989 and improve it’; ‘an Act to amend administrative laws of trade licensing’ and a ‘Bill to repeal society law.’.
Mr Mussa Kombo, the legal counsellor of the House, asked the media to encourage people to give opinions on the Bills available. “We want many people from both Pemba and Unguja to give views,” he emphasised.
Kombo said increased participation of the Public will help in guiding the legislators when debating the Bills in the House, saying, “since the idea is new, we need to encourage more people to take advantage.
By ISSA YUSSUF, Tanzania Daily News
