Pressure mounts on State to revive Katiba review process

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Representatives of the CSOs who met in Dar es Salaam yesterday pleaded with President John Magufuli to kick-start the process, which stalled in 2014.

Dar es Salaam. Pressure on the government to revive the constitution review process mounted on Wednesday with at least 80 civil society organisations (CSOs) adding their voices to the chorus.

Representatives of the CSOs who met in Dar es Salaam yesterday pleaded with President John Magufuli to kick-start the process, which stalled in 2014.

They asked the government to consider the cost in terms of money, human resource and time that had gone into the process so far, adding that it was inconceivable that the matter should not be considered a priority by the current government.

Rulenge-Ngara Catholic Bishop Severin Niwe-Mugizi said President Magufuli had good intentions for the country and he believed that the Head of State would restart the constitution rewriting process sooner rather than later.

“I personally believe that President John Magufuli wishes this country well. His government’s efforts to revamp the economy should go hand-in-hand with the review of the Constitution.

“I once spoke to Dr Magufuli and I advised him about the importance of having a new constitution and he was very positive about it. I think he understood and will give the green light before he leaves office,” Bishop Niwe-Mugizi said.

He added that it would be unfortunate if the government would clamp down on stakeholders advocation the process’ revival and accuse them of sedition.

“I’m ready to be among those who will be found guilty of advocating a new constitution. A progressive constitution is key if we hope to have sustainable development in this country,” he said.

Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) national coordinator Onesmo Olengurumwa said more emphasis should be put on the need to revive the constitution making process.

He urged all stakeholders to step up pressure on the government and persuade it to revive the process and oversee it to its conclusion.

“We should not wait until 2019. Now is the time to put more pressure and ensure that the process is restarted and concluded.

“A new constitution is needed to improve efficiency, combat corruption, ensure that public servants are ethical and instil a sense of patriotism among citizens,” Mr Olengurumwa said.

Ms Mercy Mrutu from the Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs assured stakeholders that the government was aware of the need for a new constitution.

“Even President John Magufuli has said he is aware of the need to revive the process. So, when the right time comes, the process will be restarted,” she said.

The 80 CSOs’ appeal came just a day after the Tanzania Constitution Forum (TCF) demanded that the process be revived.

TCF programme manager Machereli Machumbana said the forum would organise countrywide peaceful demonstrations to pressure the government.

He spoke after TCF held its two-day annual general meeting, which was attended by 184 non-governmental organisations in Dodoma.

President Magufuli said during a meeting with editors last November that his government did not consider reviving the review process a priority.

He said he was concentrating on delivering on his election campaign promises, which did not include a new constitution.

“I covered 42,500 kilometres during my campaign across the country, but I didn’t at any one time promise a new constitution.”

However, Dr Magufuli said he was aware that the process had reached an advanced stage.

“The good thing is that the process has reached an advanced stage,” he said of the shelved plan to call a referendum that would have enabled Tanzanians to have their say on the Proposed Constitution passed in 2014 by the now-disbanded Constituent Assembly (CA).

The CA passed the Proposed Constitution after members drawn from the Opposition boycotted proceedings, accusing the CCM-dominated body of watering down the Second Draft Constitution submitted by the Constitutional Review Commission.

In another development, Bishop Niwe-Mugizi yesterday strongly condemned ongoing human rights abuses in the country, and urged security agencies to speed up investigations, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.

He said the assassination attempt on opposition lawmaker Tundu Lissu, string of killings in Coast region and abduction of children in Arusha were proof that insecurity was a major concern.