TGNP ORGANISES A BIG BANG PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESSES

TGNP MTANDAO

TGNP ORGANISES A BIG BANG PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESSES

TGNP Mtandao in collaboration with Women Coalition in Constitution Tanzania (WCCT) and Tanzania Women Fund (WFT) conducted a public dialogue that involved communities from Bagamoyo, Kisarawe, Visegese, Kiluvya, Mwananyamala Knowledge Centers together with Gender and Development Seminar Series (GDSS) participants from Mbagala, Mabibo, Tabata, Mbezi and Temeke wards and participants from other areas of Dar es Salaam. The forum took place in August 6^th, 2014 at the TGNP grounds. The Forum had the former member of the Constitutional Reform Commision and Chairman of the National Council of NGOs (NACONGO) Mr. Humprey Polepole among its panelists. The other panelist was a new TGNP member, activist and gender analyst Ms. Gemma Akilimali. There was a turn up of over 400 people at the Big Bang, many of the participants having participated in Institutional Constitutional Councils in Community levels. Some of these councils having being organized by TGNP.

While opening the open forum, the Acting Executive Director of TGNP Ms. Lillian Liundi said that Tanzania should get a constitution that had a gender focus for the aim of getting gender equality.

Acting Executive Director Lilian Liundi opening the discussions

She said that these kinds of debates give people an opportunity to raise their voices and talk about what they would want to see included in the new constitution, thus they should not be taken for granted.

“Even thought the Constituent Assembly has resumed its discussions, the public should keep on airing their views, and whatever they say should not be taken for granted” said Ms. Liundi.

Very important issues discussed during the open forum included the women manifesto in the New Constitution especially the issue of gender equality, how women get their basic rights, especially when it comes to getting treatment, safe maternal health, education, safe water, rights of People living with disabilities (PLWD’s), active participation in employment opportunities at all levels. Other issues discussed were equal participation in leadership and decision making together with women being provided with a safe space due to an increase in Gender Based Violence and 50/50 plan.

Mr. Hamphrey Polepole speaking during the gathering

Mr. Polepole said that forums concerning the New Constitution will go on because it is a constitutional right. “A leader who prevents citizens from discussing about the Constitutional process has lost the qualifications of being a good leader” said Polepole

While being cheered at by participants, Polepole said that the United Republic of Tanzania is a democratic country that respects human rights and civilian rule, thus being surprised to hear that a leader is trying to prevent citizens from speaking out.

“I have heard one person forbidding the public not to hold public forums. I have not identified them yet, but from my observation, he/she is loosing qualifications of becoming the president of the United Republic of Tanzania, if he/she was intending to become the president” said Polepole. He then added, “I want to urge him/her that speaking our mind is our right and culture. While in the Commission, everybody was giving out their opinion.

Community grass roots concentrating on the Debate

At that time, things were a little difficult because we didn’t even know how the draft constitution would turn out” he said

He said that during that period, political parties were at the fore front in lobbying citizens to give opinions that were not theirs. He then advised leaders to give citizens civil education.

While still being cheered at, Polepole questioned.  “I’m surprised to learn that we are being told not to discuss about the constitution making process and that we should remain silent. What is our job? If we are forbidden from speaking, then what job should we do? I would like to send that message” insists Mr. Polepole

A group of participants following the discussion during the dialogue

He wanted members of the Constituent Assembly to stop disregarding citizens by thinking that they do not know what they want because telling citizens what to do while they know what they are doing is a very big mistake

“The era of telling people what to do is passed. There was no point in asking the public to give out their opinions and then coming up with something that is not suitable” he said

On the side of TGNP member Gemma Akilimali said that the process of getting a New Constitution should be participatory and which caries the voices of all groups in the society without discrimination. “We can not have a Tanzania that was there 1000 years ago, we want a modern Tanzania that is run democratically and regards the law. We also want a Tanzania that carries the voices of its citizens without disregarding whether they come from rural or urban areas, literate or illiterate” she said.

Acting Executive Director of TGNP and Gemma Akilimali chatting during the Big Bang

A participant from the Bagamoyo Knowledge Center, Amina Ramadhan said that the Constitutional Reform Commission gave them a permit to carry out Institutional Constituent Councils and gave out their opinions that they then submitted to the Constitutional Reform Commission. To their surprise, the draft constitution that was formed as a result of their opinions was disregarded, hence seeming that the draft constitution was not a result of the citizens opinions but the Commission’s.

“We get disappointed when we hear that this draft constitution has been rejected by members of the Constituent Assembly. We have exhausted our time and strength in giving out our opinions. We ran for government councils but we did not get opportunities. We used two days to analyze the first draft constitution and submitted our opinions to the Constitutional Reform Council. We incurred a lot of costs without any payments only for our opinions to be discarded” she said.

She said that before the Constitutional Reform Commission went to gather opinions for the making of the first draft constitution, political parties told citizens what to speak. “Why should these political parties forbid the public from speaking their minds now while the constitution authorizes it” she said

She also added that since 1977, citizens demanded for a new constitution but the process was never initiated. But since the process has now been initiated, we should use this opportunity effectively.

While commenting on the issue of banning open forums on the New Constitution process, participants said that being banned from giving out their opinions is the same as being deprived of their constitutional right, since new constitution that is being formed belongs to them.

They also said that shameful act that occurred during the last Constituent Assembly (CA) gatherings such as Constitution Assembly members insulting each other and disorder were a result of there being members who are there for their own benefit and not the citizens’.

A participant by the name of Selemani Bishangazi said that debates can be a way of airing out their views and contribute to the formulation of a good constitution

“We elected the leader who have banned the open forums, thus he/she cannot ban us from speaking our minds because this country belongs to us” said Bishangzi

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