Lawmaker wants Tanzanians in the diaspora allowed to vote
What you need to know:
- Special Seats MP Adha Abdul Juma (CCM) has asked the government to allow Tanzanians living in the diaspora to be allowed to cast their ballots during the forthcoming elections in the country’s efforts to strengthen its democracy.
Dodoma. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has noted that allowing Tanzanians living in the Diaspora to participate elections, including casting their ballots, was a policy issue that requires government’s comprehensive strategy.
Mr Majaliwa made the statement in Parliament in Dodoma on Thursday, May 23 when responding to impromptu questions from Special Seats MP Adha Abdul Juma, who sought to know when Tanzanians in the diaspora, would allowed to cast their ballots during elections just like how citizens of several other countries were doing.
“The government has done a lot in supervising and executing the CCM manifesto including strengthening democracy. Therefore, we would like to know when our counterparts living in the diaspora would be allowed to vote?” she asked.
In his response, Mr Majaliwa said in order to have the rights to vote, it was necessary for the country to know Tanzanians living in the diaspora, activities they were undertaking and whether they neutralized their citizenship or maintained their status.
In another development, Mr Majaliwa told Parliament that the report of ministers’ committee formed to probe land dispute belonged to the President, hence it couldn’t be submitted before Parliament without securing the nod from the owner.
Nsimbo Member of Parliament Richard Mbogo (CCM) demanded that the report of the eight ministers under the minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Mr William Lukuvi, be debated at the House before being submitted to the Head of State.
According to the Premier, it was up to the President to decide whether parliamentarians should be provided with the document or not.
