Amir Pandu Kificho
Kificho’s statement comes after one of the CA members, Richard Ndassa, Sumve legislator complained that some Kiswahili newspapers had for the past two days been attacking the MPs publishing reports that allege the delegates are ‘paid for nothing,’
“This may create negative feelings among the public and cause them to lose trust in the proceedings,” he warned.
According to Ndassa, the provocative headlines published by the papers in question are such as ‘Wabunge wachota 129m/- kwa dakika 30’, ‘Wabunge walipwa 150m/- kwa kusoma magazeti’ and ‘Bunge la Katiba vipande vipande.’
Literally translation: “MPs scoop up 129m/- in 30 minutes’, ‘MPs paid 150m/- to read newspapers’, and ‘Constituent Assembly divided’.
“These headlines create hatred towards CA members…the public thinks we are getting paid for nothing while in reality, we are doing our best,” Ndassa explained.
He elaborated that delays and postponements of the meetings are not signs of poor performance by the members but rather ‘necessary adaptations to changes as they occur to ensure that they perform their duties diligently.’
“We didn’t postpone the meetings to give MPs free money…we wanted them to read and understand the new rules so they can conform appropriately,” he said adding “…the media should not misconstrue this,” he underlined.
However, before the dust settles over said media reports purporting the CA members are not focused and are misappropriating taxpayers’ money, Chairman of the Technical Committee, Prof Costa Mahalu has suggested that the CA have its own mace.
It should be an alloy of gold and aluminum and it is to weighing 4.5 kg with a height of 1.2 metres, he suggested and its headpiece is to be made of gold engraved with the symbol of a book containing a preamble.
According to, Prof Mahalu, ‘the golden rod’ will serve as a symbol of the constitution review process that is a landmark in the country’s history.
The professor would have the top of the rod bear depictions of the various groups of people that make up the country and who participated in the review process “…such as fishermen, pastoralists and farmers,” he said.
“Its bottom-end should be the form of a pen,” he elaborated saying it would represent the writing of the new constitution and finally it should also be decorated with colours of the national flag.
Once completed, Prof Mahalu advices that “…a copy of the rod to be preserved in Zanzibar.”
The constituent assembly was on Monday adjourned to Friday this week after the twenty-member technical committee requested for more time to go through the standing orders draft.
As for the reviewed Standing Orders that Prof Mahalu tabled earlier the following have been proposed Chapter Six of the Standing Orders suggests the formation of 16 CA committees instead of 17 that were proposed earlier.
Chapter four of the rules stipulate, the Chairman and Vice Chair are not to be allowed to attend committee sessions which will be mainly for deliberating specified topics.
“We have also suggested that members should not be allowed to inquire for clarification or make any contributions when the Chair of the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) tables the second draft of the constitution in the parliament,” said Prof Mahalu who explained that “…these rules will enable the Chair to properly present the constitution draft.”
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
No comments :
Post a Comment