Members of Constituent Assembly Kingunge Ngombale Mwiru (right)and
Andrew Chenge discuss a point at the Bunge grounds in Dodoma on Monday.
PHOTO | SILVAN KIWALE
By Katare Mbashiru,The Citizen Reporter
In Summary
The sittings are expected to continue this Friday
after they were adjourned to pave the way for a 20-member committee to
correct the standing orders. The committee working on the standing
orders is led By Prof Costa Ricky Mahalu.
Dar es Salaam. A plot by
Constituent Assembly (CA) members to have their allowances raised
appears to have fallen on a rocky ground, with State House confirming
yesterday that a committee formed to look into the matter submitted a
report that made no mention of more money.
Public pressure over the allowances was still
mounting yesterday as CA members awaited the president’s decision.
President Jakaya Kikwete was reportedly studying the recommendations
proposed by a committee formed by CA Interim Chairman Pandu Ameir
Kificho, according to Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue.
He hinted, though, that the report officially
received yesterday by the Office of the President did not propose any
rise and focused instead on how the CA members should be paid.
Last week, Mr Kificho formed a six-member
committee, chaired by Mr Paul Kimiti, to look into the possibility of
raising the allowances. Members of the committee were Mr William Lukuvi,
Mr Mohamed Aboud Mohamed, Mr Freeman Mbowe, Ms Asha Bakari Makame and
Ms Jenista Mhagama. The Kimiti-led team was asked to do a thorough
analysis and advise if there was any justification to raise the
allowances, taking into account claims that the cost of living in Dodoma
has shot through the roof.
Sections 29 (1) and (2) of the Constitution Review
Act address the expenses of the CA. It states categorically that the
expenses incurred by the CA will come from the Consolidated Fund. Pay
for CA members, the Clerk and staff shall be up to the President, taking
into account the laws and regulations.
Although the chief secretary did not divulge the
details of the modalities suggested in the report from the CA committee,
highly placed sources in Dodoma told The Citizen that the committee
suggested that the members be paid a uniform amount of allowances,
including the weekends and the days when there are no meetings.
The sittings are expected to continue this Friday
after they were adjourned to pave the way for a 20-member committee to
correct the standing orders. The committee working on the standing
orders is led By Prof Costa Ricky Mahalu.
The plan to raise the allowances of CA members did
not go down well with the public and some CA members. Various people
expressed their dismay over the increment, saying any rise in allowances
was unrealistic and would create the impression that the members
travelled to the political capital of Dodoma to mint cash instead of
putting together a historic supreme law.
“We understand there has been a heated debate
inside and outside the assembly to have the allowance increased but,
after a comprehensive analysis, the committee proposed that there should
be no increase,” said Mr Sefue.
The debate on allowances broke out last week when
some members, including Sumve legislator Richard Ndasa and his Kishapu
counterpart Seleman Nchambi, both of the ruling party, said the
Sh300,000 they were currently earning was “peanuts”.
Members opposed to the campaign for higher
allowances include CUF’s Julius Mtatiro, Mr Mohammed Keisy and Kigoma
North legislator Zitto Kabwe.
Mr Mtatiro went ahead and collected signatures
from CA members in a bid to petition President Kikwete to reject the pay
hike proposal but stopped after he got an assurance from “impeccable
sources” in the government that the allowance would not be raised.
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