Tundu Lissu: Devolution key for development

Dar es Salaam. Opposition party Chadema’s Presidential candidate, TunduLissu on Friday promised that - should he be elected President of Tanzania - he would replace the current governance system and bring about devolution.

He argued that transfer of powers from the central government to the provincial and local governments would help hasten development compared to the current structure of governance.

Speaking at his campaign rally in Mpanda District, Katavi Region, MrLissu said the current structure of governance had monopolised all the powers, depriving the local governments any meaningful decisions hence impacting negatively on the development of the people. He said, currently only the central government has the final say in all matters of the society, with one person at the top deciding everything. When one person wields so much power, MrLissu argued, it tends to hurt the constituencies by delaying development.

His speech was broadcasted live through online channels.

“The provincial systems would give the people the mandate to elect the regional and district commissioners if they see it fit, it will also empower them to hold the elected officials accountable,” he said.

Citing examples from neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique, the outspoken politician said provincial governments in Tanzania would make every state/region independent to foster its own socioeconomic development.

He said, “Before 1962 when the government introduced regional administration, we were under the provincial structure of governance.”

MrLissu said the provincial system of administration that his government was going to introduce would be different from that used by the colonists. His administration would be about ‘all power to the people’.

He reiterated on the promise that his Chadema government would also protect individual and fundamental freedoms so that Tanzanians would truly feel free and hence play more efficiently in developing their country and contributing positively to mankind.

“We need freedom to speak on anything we want, even questioning the government, and we also want a country with justice so that our country can have genuine development in all aspects of human life,” MrLissu argued.

On education, the Chadema presidential candidate poked holes in the current government’s handling of the key sector.

He claimed that even with the free education policy for primary up to lower secondary levels of education, still parents and guardians paid more in form of contributions.

“Parents have been complaining that the contributions requested of them by the schools at the start of the academic year were higher, regardless of the fact that education was considered free,” he said.

Chadema’s candidate also expressed his intention to reform the Judiciary and the justice dispensation system warning police on the unfair treatment that is meted out to some people who were seen as holding opposing views to those of the government.

“Everybody should be treated fairly and justly in the hands of law,” he said.