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Z’bar rejects Dar request on ocean zone |
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Monday, 23 January 2012 22:18 |
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 By Hamoud Said
The Citizen Correspondent
Zanzibar. The United Republic of Tanzania’s decision to seek an extension of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has sparked a hot debate in the House of Representatives, with furious Zanzibaris threatening to withdraw from the deal involving access to wealth in the sea.
Debating a private motion tabled by the Mji Mkongwe Representative, Mr Ismail Jussa of the Civic United Front, the lawmakers demanded the resignation of a minister who allegedly took part in formulating the application, which has already been tabled before the United Nations.
They bayed for the blood of Mr Ali Juma Shamuhuna, the Minister responsible for Energy issues, accusing him of betraying Zanzibaris by helping prepare the application.
Mr Jussa argued in his motion that the Zanzibar House of Representatives had decided that marine and oil issues should be the preserve of Zanzibar and the Union government had no business making the application.
They also pushed the Zanzibar government to write to the Union government to express its intention to withdraw from the application for extension of the continental shelf.
In addition, backbenchers led by Mr Jussa demanded that the Zanzibar government send a delegation to the UN should the Union government ignore their plea.
Tabling his motion on certificate of emergency, Mr Jussa said Zanzibaris were unhappy with the way the Union government had handled issues that need a consensus (Zanzibar and Union government) and asked island authorities to be bold in defending what they consider to be Zanzibar’s interest.
Mr Rashid Seif Suleiman (CUF-Ziwani) Hija Hassan Hija (CUF-Kiwani), Mr Hamza Hassan Juma (CCM-Kwamtipura), Mr Omar Ali Shehe (CU -Chakechake), Ms Asha Bakar Makame (CCM–Special Seats) and Mr Mbarouk Wadi Mussa (CCM-Mkwajuni) attacked the Union and accused Mr Shamuhuna of getting involved in the EEZ extension process without the Cabinet’s (revolution council) consent.
As other legislators called on Mr Shamuhuna to resign or be fired by the president, Mr Jussa said: “The Union government is wrong to move to the UN without consulting the Zanzibar government. The move is also against our April 2009 resolution demanding the oil and natural gas as well as EEZ be removed from union matters.”
Zanzibar’s Attorney-General, Mr Othman Masoud, tried to defend Mr Shamuhuna but Mr Jussa diplomatically told him that people were getting disillusioned with him (AG).
Tanzania’s minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Prof Anna Tibaijuka, recently led a delegation to the UN to present a request for the extension of the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS), which lies 150 miles beyond the current 200 miles of EEZ.
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Comments
What some of these selfish politicians from the islands are counting on is that when oil is discovered on the mainland they will claim it as "our" oil. If discovered in Zanzibar they will claim it as "their" oil. This is the mentality because, after all, 5% of Tanzania's budgetary allocation is given to Zanzibar every year--even though they have their owned economic sources. Does Rukwa get this kind of budgetary allocation? NO.
Extending the EEZ is good for the whole of URT. Stop the demagoguery
Actually they know exactly what they are talking about. The Articles of Union did not grant the Government of Tanzania powers to make such an application - and there are many non-Union Matters involved including Fisheries, Oil & Gas, etc.
The Zanzibar House of Representatives is the law making body in Zanzibar and is Supreme over the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania by law - it has the power to recall Matters from the Government of Tanzania, or even secede from the Union itself - which is an international treaty.
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