What they say ahead of JK’s speech

KATIBA: Varsity don says President should focus on closing political gaps that must be filled through before referendum  

Dodoma/Dar es Salaam. All eyes and ears will be directed on President Jakaya Kikwete tomorrow when he receives the proposed new constitution from the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly (CA) Mr Samuel Sitta. Preparations were in top gear to ensure that the function is conducted properly.

Dodoma Regional Commissioner Dr Rehema Nchimbi confirmed yesterday that the event is expected to take place at the Jamuhuri grounds on Wednesday from noon. She said that the guests of honour will be President Kikwete and Zanzibar President  Ali Mohammed Shein.

In the list of invited guests according to her, there will be retired top government officials, religious leaders and diplomats representing their nations in Tanzania. However, former Constitution Review Commission (CRC) chairman Judge (rtd) Joseph Warioba will not be attending.

Judge Warioba who had as of yesterday not received any official invitation from the organisers, told The Citizen that even if he was invited, he would not have attended the function. “I have other engagements in Dar es Salaam, and I do not plan to travel out of the city in the next two days…However, I am yet to receive any official invitation,’’ he said. In other development, members of the Coalition of Defenders of

Ukawa grouping confirmed they had not received invitation, though, they insist that they couldn’t attend a function that they insisted had no benefit to Tanzanians.

Chadema secretary general Dr Willibroad Slaa also told The Citizen yesterday that his party had not received any invitation but insisted he would rather traverse the entire country to mobilise people to oppose the proposed draft than travelling to Dodoma for a function that he said had no consensus.

Political pundits yesterday aired varied opinions on what the President should tell the nation, this time, when there is raising political temperatures over the divisive process leading to the drawing of the proposed supreme law. According the lecturer at Ruaha University College Prof Gaudence Mpangala, tomorrow’s speech from the President will either divide the nation further or drive it towards a consensus. “He should not celebrate attaining two-thirds majority from Zanzibar MCAs, instead he should categorically tell Tanzanians that the process has major political gaps that must be filled through open dialoguebefore going to the referendum…”

 “However, I don’t think the speech will be the way I and majority would wish, judging from how the process has been going he will stick to his party’s interests.”

Source: The Citizen