A meeting between President Jakaya Kikwete and Opposition leaders ended amicably on Tuesday with important agreements reached on how better the wrangle on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2013 could be solved once and for all.
President Kikwete shakes hands with Mr Tundu Lissu (Centre) Looking on is Mr James Mbatia.
A statement released by the Directorate of Presidential Communications as soon as the meeting ended, said that since political parties were important stakeholders in the new constitution making process, they should immediately forward their views to the government on how best the Bill can be improved for the good of the process and that of the entire country.
“The president and the parties have agreed in principle that all political parties with more views on the Bill should forward them to the government immediately so that they can be accommodated to improve it,” read the statement in part.
The meeting also saw the need for the parties to meet and forge regular communication strategies among themselves on how best the process can be mutually and amicably pushed.
Moreover, the meeting challenged the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) to coordinate the new move, including preparing meetings with parties and other stakeholders over the matter.
The meeting, described as a very successful one, was attended by almost all opposition parties with representation in the Parliament under the chairmanship of CUF National Chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba.
According to the statement, other leaders included CHADEMA National Chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe and NCCR-Mageuzi National Chairman, Mr James Mbatia.
Others were the CCM Vice-Chairman (Mainland), Mr Philip Mangula, UDP representative, Mr Isack Cheyo and one Mr Mrindoko who represented the Tanzania Labour Party Chairman, Mr Augustine Mrema, who together with National UDP Chairman, John Cheyo are reported to be out of the country.
Apart from Prof Lipumba, CUF were also represented by Mr Habib Mnyaa and Deputy Secretary General (Mainland), Mr Julius Mtatiro while Mr Tundu Lissu, Mr John Mnyika and Mr Martin Mng’ongowa also attended, representing CHADEMA and NCCR-Mageuzi respectively.
The parties’ leaders were scheduled to discuss with the president their viewpoints on the recently passed constitution review bill as several concerns have been raised by politicians on the implementation of the outcome.
In a televised address on October 7, President Kikwete offered to hold a meeting to discuss the controversies that arose from the passed bill, whereby Opposition legislators stormed out of the hemicycle. The president seeks to end the deadlock that once threatened to derail popular participation in the process of getting a new constitution.
Among the key items of the agenda raised was the structure of the Constituent Assembly (CA) in view of either reducing the number of MPs in the Constitutional Assembly or increase the number of civil society organisations so as to have fair representation.
This is the second time President Kikwete has met with leaders of Opposition parties with the aim of ironing out differences arising in the process of making the new constitution.
By PIUS RUGONZIBWA, Tanzania Daily News
