By Mkinga Mkinga
The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam. President Jakaya Kikwete and Chadema national chairman Freeman Mbowe held informal talks at State House in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, sparking speculation on the agenda.Mr Mbowe, also the leader of the opposition in Parliament, confirmed yesterday that they had a three-hour meeting but said he would give the details only after the burial of Chadema MP Regia Mtema, who died in a road accident at Ruvu in Coast Region on Saturday.

He spoke with The Citizen at the Karimjee Hall grounds, where he had joined tens of hundreds of people, including government leaders and leaders of political parties, to pay last respects to the MP, who died at the age of 32.

“It’s true that I met President Jakaya Kikwete over the weekend,” Mr Mbowe said. “We discussed issues but I cannot go into the details of what transpired between us. Try to find me after the burial of Mtema.”

State House officials would not confirm the meeting, with the President’s assistant press secretary, Ms Premi Kibanga, saying she had been on leave and was not aware of such a meeting.

The air of secrecy did not go down well in some quarters, with a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Mr Bashiru Ali, accusing Mr Mbowe of “privatising democracy” in withholding the details of meeting.  

Since Mr Mbowe was a follower of democratic principles of democracy, Mr Ali said, he ought to have publicly declared what was discussed. In politics, he added, there was no such thing as secret or informal talks.

 “I suspect the talks centred on the process of remaking the constitution,” Mr Ali added.  “Chadema leaders met the President in November last year on the issue and they principally agreed in some areas.”  His colleague, Dr Azaveli Lwaitama, said every citizen was eager to know what they spoke about. But he speculated that the two leaders might have discussed the formation of the constitutional review commission that will collect views from the people.

“Basically, the President wants to appoint a constitutional review commission,” said Dr Lwaitama. “In order to avoid complaints from various quarters, he has to consult personalities such as Mbowe.”
The don speculated that President Kikwete might have met Mr Mbowe in order to avoid political barbs after he appoints the commission.

Chadema director for publicity John Mnyika said his party could not speak on administrative issues while mourning their departed colleague. “I cannot comment on anything now as the party’s attention is directed to the death of our special seats MP Mtema,” Mr Mnyika said.  “Wait until we have settled down.”

His CCM counterpart, Nape Nnauye, said he had nothing to say as the meeting was between President Kikwete and Mr Mbowe. “I’m not an astrologer who can predict what transpired between the two personalities,” Mr Nnauye declared.
Chadema leaders held talks with President Kikwete in November 2011 and agreed on principle that the newly passed Constitutional Review Act 2011 bill needed major amendments.

A joint statement issued by the two sides at the end of two days of consultations said the bill should be improved so as to bring it up to the standards of building national consensus and cohesion.But President Kikwete went ahead and assented to the Bill a month later, drawing protests from Chadema and leaders of civil society organisations.

In November 2011, Chadema MPs walked out of Parliament in Dodoma as President Kikwete began delivering his speech to inaugurate the 10th Parliament. The President was forced to pause at the podium as Chadema legislators staged the walk-out, reportedly to demonstrate the opposition’s stand that it would not recognise the presidential results and the elected President.

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