By Samuel Kamndaya, The Citizen Reporter
In Summary
The law governing CA business requires that for
changes to be taken onboard the proposed mother law that will be tabled
before wananchi in a referendum must first be approved by a two-third
majority within the assembly by members from Tanzania mainland and
another two-third from Tanzania Zanzibar.
Dodoma. The Constitution-making process might be heading towards a stalemate if voting results from various Constituent Assembly (CA) committees are anything to go by.
The law governing CA business requires that for
changes to be taken onboard the proposed mother law that will be tabled
before wananchi in a referendum must first be approved by a two-third
majority within the assembly by members from Tanzania mainland and
another two-third from Tanzania Zanzibar.
The CA Standing Order Number 37 (1) specifically
states that for a Chapter or the entire Draft Katiba to be approved by
the assembly, it must be endorsed by a two-third majority of members
from the Mainland and other two-third majority of those from the Isles.
But according to data gathered here yesterday, the debate on Chapters
One and Six – which started at committee level on Tuesday -- was so
intense that changes, proposed by the ruling party, failed to sail
through in ten out of the 12 committees.
Chapter One of the second Draft Constitution
defines the United Republic of Tanzania to be a Sovereign Federal State –
created out of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Chapter Six of the second Draft Constitution also
emphasises the fact that the United Republic of Tanzania will consist of
three governments, one for each of the federated states and one for the
sovereign country. It also lays out specific constitutional conditions
that will sustain the existence of the United Republic of Tanzania under
the three-government system.
The ruling party, CCM, which boasts of numerical
strength in the House, believes in a two-government system. But its
proposal to change the two chapters so they can be in line with the
requirements of a two-government system failed short of a two-thirds
requirement in committee numbers One, Two, Three, Four, Six, Eight,
Nine, Ten, Eleven and Twelve.
“From the way things are, it will be very
difficult for CCM to get two-thirds in Zanzibar….Considering that the
two chapters form the basis of the entire Draft. We can only hope that
the process will reach a standstill if the ruling party does not reverse
its position of a two-government system,” a CA member from the
opposition CUF, Mr Ismail Jussa Ladhu told The Citizen on Saturday
yesterday.
What will happen?
Hoping that both sides will stick to their guns
until the day of voting in the House, analysts say, it will be difficult
for the Draft to get two-thirds of members from Tanzania Mainland and
another two-thirds from Zanzibar.
“It simply means that CA members will leave Dodoma
without a Proposed Constitution and that will create a political
turmoil for it means the CA will have rejected views of wananchi as
depicted in the Judge (rtd) Joseph Warioba-led Constitutional Review
Commission (CRC),” said another opposition CA member, Mr Tundu Lissu.
Chairmen of some CA committees were, however,
upbeat that the solution would be found and that Tanzanians would
finally go to the referendum to endorse or reject the proposed new
Constitution.
They said results at the committee level were a
reflection of what CA members think, noting, however, that through the
Reconciliation and Consensus Committee, which comprises members from all
the major political parties – including CCM, Chadema, CUF and
NCCR-Mageuzi – a solution would be reached.
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