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Opposition wants Union matters ironed out speedily
2006-07-13 08:48:38
By Pastory Nguvu, Dodoma
Opposition parties yesterday demanded to know what the government was doing to complaints about the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Opposition spokesperson Riziki Omar Juma made the demand when he read the opposition’s verdict on the 2006/07 budget for the Vice President’s Office, which handles Union matters.
Omar said there were far too many complaints that threaten to widen the cracks that already exist in the merger between the Mainland and the Isles.
’’Honourable Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the minister in charge, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, for being given the portfolio that handles Union matters.
However, I’m sorry to note that he may not be equal to the task, as the matters are too complex for his ministry alone to deal with,’’ he said.
He said that one of the issues that the mainlanders complain about is why Zanzibar has its own cabinet, legislature while it is also represented in the Union government.
’’In normal circumstances, you will find that in Zanzibar every constituency has two elected legislators,’’ he noted.
He added: Zanzibar has a ’’representative and an MP. Where there is provision for Special Seats, some areas are represented by four people,’’ he said.
He said that there was a need to amend the national Constitution so that people from both sides of the Union decide what kind of Union they want.
In addition, Omar said, many Zanzibaris are dissatisfied with the current set up of the security forces.
’’The Union constitution states clearly that the commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
However, the Zanzibar President has also his own armed force over which he has full authority,’’ he said.
The opposition also sought clarification on when the government would present the Articles of Union to Parliament to determine the meaning and objectives of the Union as decided by its founders – Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Abeid Karume. He said the Articles of the Union would shed light on the kind of government the two founding fathers envisaged.
When he read his ministry’s budget, Prof Mark Mwandosya said that the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar has gone through various stages and there was a need to add more areas on the ’list of matters.’
’’In order to plan for Union matters, every ministry must have union and no-union departments in our two governments, which should meet at least twice per year effective from this month.
The outcome of the meetings would be forwarded to the Vice President’s Office for implementation,’’ Prof Mwandosya said.
The minister said the Vice President’s Office intends to educate the public on matters regarding the Union.
This will be in the form of four articles for the Union magazine, preparation of 24 radio programmes on matters regarding Union and 24 television programs for the same purpose.
He noted: ’’If we do not solve these problems early, our Union will still run into problems.’’
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