Islanders Blamed for Delaying Process of Creating New Union Constitution.
Zanzibar — AS the Constitution Assembly (CA) resumes its session, members of the assembly from Zanzibar are to blame for the delays and disputes over the constitution, a report says.The Zanzibar Institute for Research and Public Policy (ZIRPP) says in its report after series of forums in the islands on 'how to resolve constitution stalemate', "it is unfortunate that division within CA members from Zanzibar was a drawback in the process."
"Reckless and emotional debate from Zanzibaris during the CA meeting in Dodoma was the main cause of the row between CA members forming UKAWA and the CCM group," reads the report made public in Zanzibar.
Mr Ali Abdulla Suleiman, Chairperson of the ZIRPP Special Committee, formed during the fora, read the report at a press conference convened in Zanzibar town.
The fora held on both Unguja and Pemba islands, attracted different type of the people including students, retired civil servants, politicians, academicians, and members from NGOs.
ZIRPP which functions as a think-tank, consultancy and research-to-policybased Institute, is a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) which aims at mobilising untapped human resources of Zanzibaris from within Zanzibar and in the Diaspora.
"According to the views collected during our fora, people have been so disappointment with how CA members from Zanzibar behaved. Unnecessary use of hate speech and abusiveness were also the source of the problems," said Suleiman.
ZIRPP fora special committee members, who include Mr Ali Hassan Khamis, Mr Msellem Khamis Msellem, Ms Naila Majid Jidawi, Mr Enzi Talib Aboud, and Mr Abbasi Juma Mhunzi, recommend in their reports that all CA members from Zanzibar, including those forming UKAWA, should go back to the assembly.
"It is never too late; we kindly ask both President Ali Mohammed Shein and President Jakaya Kikwete to initiate a discussion that will lead to reconciliation of UKAWA and other group in the assembly," it recommends.
The speaker of the Zanzibar House of representatives, Mr Pandu Ameir Kificho, has been also asked to convince all the members from Zanzibar to take part in the CA session for the interest of Zanzibar.
"This is an important opportunity for Zanzibaris to raise our demands so that included in the new union constitution. Politicians from Zanzibar should put national interest first, before personal and political interest," ZIRPP says.
It says people in Zanzibar want full autonomy in managing its economical affairs, establishing its own state bank, union president on rotation between Zanzibaris and Tanganyika, and that Zanzibar should enjoy complete legal freedom to join or work together with regional and international organizations such as EAC, SADC, UNESCO, WHO, and FAO.
According to ZIRPP Zanzibaris want Zanzibar's president to become a permanent union vice president as it used to be when Tanganyika and Zanzibar merge to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Zanzibar should have its own police and own intelligence department, and proportion for the job opportunities in the union.
ZIRPP, arguably the first NGO in the islands to organise fora involving all groups of people in Zanzibar and come up with recommendations, says Zanzibaris stand a good chance to have their voice heard, should they work together.