New Katiba not priority, says Magufuli

Dar es Salaam.  President John Magufuli yesterday buried any hopes of having a new Constitution soon, saying it was not his government’s priority.

President Magufuli said he was concentrating on delivering his election campaign promises, which did not include the push for a new Constitution.

“I covered 42,500 kilometres during my campaign across the country, but I did not at any one time promise a new Constitution,” he said.

He was speaking during a question-and-answer session with media practitioners on the eve of his marking of one year in office as President. It was the first time that Dr Magufuli met representatives of media houses for an open engagement.

When asked what agenda he had regarding the stalled constitution-making process, Dr Magufuli was blunt that it was not in his immediate plans to revive the process.

“Let me build the country first,” retorted the President, noting that there were many examples of countries with the best written laws, but with nothing to write home about in terms of development.    

However, he said he was aware the process to review the country’s Constitution was in progress. “The good thing is that the process has reached at an advanced stage,” he said of the stalled plan to call for a referendum so that Tanzanians could vote for a proposed new Constitution as drafted by the Constituent Assembly.

The Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe has been quoted this year promising that the government would continue with the process in due time. He indicated that it could follow after the 2016/17 budget. Yesterday’s apparent lukewarm response the President expressed was the strongest signal that it might take longer than most Tanzanians expected to have a new Constitution written.

Various stakeholders have rooted for a new Constitution as the best bet for the country to respond to good governance challenges. The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition added its voice yesterday, announcing it had opened a consultative process to bring together likeminded groups to discuss how to get the process back on track.

The organisation’s national coordinator, Mr Onesmo Ole Ngurumwa, said yesterday that their consultations aimed at looking at a possibility of developing a hybrid document from the current law and the Samuel Sitta-led team’s document as well as proposals by the Judge Warioba-led Constitutional Review Commission.

Political parties, especially the opposition, have also urged for a rethink of the government in efforts to push for the draft of a new Constitution in favour of fresh national talks to get national consensus on the type of Constitution should be voted during a referendum.

The process to get a new Constitution was initiated by retired President Jakaya Kikwete, but it faced resistance by a section of people that felt the ruling party had forced on them a draft that was different from the views presented at public forums.