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Z’bar cabinet throws out draft....
2006-12-30 09:39:16
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
The Zanzibar cabinet has refused to endorse a bill on establishment of an anti-corruption body. The bill also sought to establish a leaders’ code of ethics for the Isles.
The draft bill was tabled during a cabinet meeting by the Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office responsible for Constitution and Good Governance, Mahadhi Juma Maalim.
Zanzibar Deputy Attorney General Omar Makungu said the proposed bill was supposed to be tabled in the House of Representatives in October 2005, but the move was postponed because of elections.
He said that the ministers had refused to endorse the draft, saying that those who prepared it should first attend training on bill drafting from the Commonwealth countries context.
The deputy AG said the bill was written basing on experience of member countries of the East African Community.
”This bill will not be tabled next month as scheduled,” he said.
He, however, said the new bill contained a lot of provisions, including having leaders declare their wealth in a month’s period after they were appointed or elected.
According to Section 68 (1) of the draft bill, it would be against the law for a person to give out money, food, and other services such as place to sleep for the electorate during elections.
This would have effectively made ’takrima’ illegal.
Section 35 (1) of the proposed bill says each government leader must declare their property, wife or husband and the number of children just after being appointed to a government position.
According to the proposed law, any person who will be found violating the law, including being involved in acts of corruption, will be jailed for ten years or pay a 10m/- fine or both.
The drafting of the law has been funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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