Governments told to put up participatory law making process

Dar es Salaam. Dysfunctional law making system is one of the problems that African governments have to contend with in most cases the process is not participatory, lacks transparency and is not based on evidence, as a result it is always resisted and contested.
This is according to the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Tulia Ackson during the Social Science Research Council Workshop organized by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).
According to Dr Tulia Ackson, justice is the foundation of peace that leads to a sustainable national development.

"For Parliament to be recognized it must affect legitimacy of quality of laws enacted,” she said.
She noted that, a law making process that is not participatory or transparent lacks public confidence and legitimacy.
To attain that, she said research has a vital role to play because if Parliament is not well informed it will focus on ideology, ego or power and not on bringing any impact to the society.
She said research and policy are important aspects in law-making, peacemaking and national development, this is because the main purpose of research is to inform action, protect theories and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study.
"The policy formulation process starts with a number of policy problem questions that require answers and each questions necessitates researching for relevant information and development," she said.
According to her, research is essential tool for the law reforms as it undergoes categories of analytical, historical and comparative stages which require thoroughly information.
Meanwhile the UDSM, Vice Chancellor, William Anangisye said UDSM has always taken a keen interest designing of programmes that aspire to address challenges facing Tanzania, determination, and humanity at large.
"As one of the oldest academic units of this University, the College of Social Sciences has made remarkable contributions to national and regional development policies through research and knowledge exchange, including execution of research in such areas like governance, management of resource, peace, security, development, as well as international relations and regional integration for strategic and effective participation in the current social economic
transformations," he said.
He said Social Science Research Council was founded in 1923 as an independent, international, non-profit organization. Its aim was to foster innovative research, nurture new generations of social scientists, deepen the understanding on how inquiry is
practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilize necessary knowledge on important public issues.