Referendum can’t take place in 2015, says NEC

 

President Jakaya Kikwete speaks to African diplomatic missions representatives in the People’s Republic of China in Beijing yesterday following a special invitation by his counterpart Xi Jinping. During his six-day tour, Mr Kikwete will oversee the signing of development partnerships and grace the occasion to mark 50 years of Sino-Tanzania cooperation. PHOTO | STATE HOUSE 

By  Katare Mbashiru ,The Citizen reporter

In Summary

Leaders of political parties met NEC officials at a special seminar organised by the office of the Registrar of Political Parties to lobby party leaders to preach peace.

Dar es Salaam. If you were all set for a referendum on the new constitution in March or April next year, do not hold your breath. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced yesterday that a referendum then is practically out of the question.

The move has thrown the journey to a new constitution into a state of confusion, coming at a time when President Jakaya Kikwete just gave an assurance in China yesterday that there would be a referendum by April.

The latest development comes barely three days after Attorney General Fredrick Werema declared that the country was ready for a referendum on March 30 next year. In another interview, though, the AG told Reuters news agency that the referendum would be held on April 30, 2015—creating further confusion about the actual date of the much-touted referendum.

But NEC Chairman Judge (rtd) Damian Lubuva insisted yesterday that it was impossible to hold a referendum on March 30 and Tanzanians will not go to polls before the voter register is updated.

Judge Lubuva, who was addressing the council of political parties in Dodoma, said updating the voter register was likely to take plenty of time, making it virtually impossible to hold the referendum on the date the chief state legal adviser announced on Monday. He reckons the registration of voters can only be completed in May.

But speaking in China, where he is on an official tour, President Kikwete told diplomats in China that the referendum would be held in April.

He told the representatives of various countries: “The process of writing my country’s new constitution has reached a good stage and, should things go as planned, the referendum will be conducted any day in April. We are just looking for a specific day for that historic event.’’

NEC agreed at a meeting with the leaders of political parties on Tuesday that the referendum be held immediately after the registration of eligible voters.

The AG asserted on Monday that the law provides for the referendum on March 30, but NEC and politicians at a crucial meeting objected, according to impeccable sources at the meeting. Mr Kikwete’s preference automatically overrides that of his adviser, though.

Leaders of political parties met NEC officials at a special seminar organised by the office of the Registrar of Political Parties to lobby party leaders to preach peace.

Our sources confided that the NEC chairman insisted that it was impossible to carry out a referendum on the date suggested by the AG. The election watchdog chairman insisted that much as NEC may fast-track the exercise, it would be difficult to beat the deadline Judge Werema set. Judge Lubuva spoke of delays in releasing funds to carry out the exercise but was encouraged by the fact that the government had agreed to fund the exercise.

So far, the government has released Sh21.5 billion of the approved budget of Sh133 billion for NEC operations. The money was released in September, according to the permanent secretary in the ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr Servacius Likwelile. “Further cash releases will depend on the work plan until April next year, when the exercise comes to a close,’’ the PS said.