Friday, September 26, 2014

Mixed reaction from public on draft Constitution

A day after the proposed draft constitution was tabled in Parliament, political analysts, economists, politicians, religious leaders and ordinary citizen have expressed  mixed reactions over the document.
 
While some are in favour of the new proposed Mother Law others are of the opinion that important issues have been left out and that it safeguards only the interests of politicians and not the citizens.
Mwesiga Baregu, Professor in Political Science and International Relations
 
A member of the Constitutional Review Commission that was charged with collecting and compiling public input for the new constitution, Professor in Political Science and International Relations Mwesiga Baregu told The Guardian yesterday that in his opinion, the proposed draft constitution has ignored the people’s views.
 
“The entire constitution review process has been disrupted because most of the issues presented by Warioba’s Commission have been left out in proposed draft constitution,” he alleged.
 
According to Prof Baregu who said the proposed draft constitution lacks political legitimacy because ‘it  excludes the views of wananchi.’
 
He however did not specify what public views had been left out. He went on to point out that the proposed draft has increased the power of the President and this in his view means, the document has sidelined public interests in favour the of the ruling elite.
 
On the other hand, a senior Economics lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Haji Semboja said it is not up to the Constituent Assembly to pass the Constitution whether they favour it or not, that power lies in the hands of the people through the referendum, he said.
 
As such, he advised that wananchi be given a chance to review the tabled final draft and decide on it. More specifically he said the public should be given the opportunity to rule on the much deputed structure of the government that saw a large part of the CA (UKAWA) walk out and not return to the House.
 
“It was impossible for the draft constitution tabled by Warioba Commission to be approved without any changes. Constitution is an agreement between wananchi and their government and the people should be given a chance to decide on the structure of the government they would prefer,” he said.
 
Similalry, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT) Northern Diocese Bishop Dr Martin Shao expressed doubts as to whether the draft constitution embodies the views of people, this despite religious leaders in the CA recently unanimously saying they were satisfied with the review process and that the resulting document would represent the views of the masses.
 
In his opinion, Dar es Salaam resident Godwin Mollel also shared his concerns that the proposed draft constitution does not represent the people’s views.
“It only assures the interests of rulers for another 50 years forgetting the public,” he claimed.
 
In support of the final draft was a senior lecturer from UDSM department of Political Science Dr Benson Bana who said the proposed draft constitution in line with what was tabled by judge Warioba’s Commission and despite several changes in it, he maintained that the document is just and represents the will of the people.
 
Zanzibar’s Second Vice President Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi said he is satisfied with the document and according to him, it covers almost all the issues that the Isle residents wanted.
 
Speaking to newsmen at parliament grounds yesterday, Ambassador Iddi noted that: “We are happy that most of the things that we were pushing for are included in the final draft.” 
 
“We know it is not easy to have everything we wanted included in the document but we are optimistic that the remaining few will be considered in future,” he said.
 
Tabling the final draft, Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Andrew Chenge said the Constitution has addressed some aggravating issues of the Union by giving Zanzibar more authority to handle her own activities.
 
CA members are expected to start voting on the final draft on Monday, September 29 until on Thursday, October 2
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Stakeholders concerned country lacks airline to support tourism

Lack of a reliable and effective airline to boost Tanzania’s tourism sector is severely affecting performance of the sector that is the second largest contributor to the GDP.
 
Managing Director of the ongoing tourism exhibition dubbed Mpingo Summit in Arusha Region Bakiri Angalia raised the concern earlier this week. 
 
Mpingo Summit 2014
Speaking at the summit, he said the country’s tourism industry is overwhelmed by a number of challenges but the lack of a reliable airline dedicated to the sector’s development is paramount.
 
 “Tourism remains an important pillar to our economic development and so Tanzania needs a reliable carrier to act as a catalyst to the country’s tourism development,” he said.
 
He said the country has many tourist attractions, but the number of tourists visiting them remains considerably low. 
“The only way to bring more tourists to the country is to have a reliable national carrier,” he insisted.
 
 “The national carrier, Air Tanzania Company Limited does not suffice the sector’s need and requires heavy investment to meet the demand,” he lamented.
 
He nonetheless conceded that the national airline, Air Tanzania, continues to work hand in hand with tourism firms to tap the country’s tourism potential but he maintained that more must be done if the sector is to realise its potential.
 
Themed: “Tourism and development in the community” the Mpingo Summit has attracted tourism stakeholders from across the region and elsewhere to discuss the challenges facing tourism in the country.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Cameron: UK must confront IS threat to Britain

The prime minister said it was in the UK's national interest to join the fight against IS, which he warned would "take years not months".
Joining air strikes against IS in Iraq would be "clearly lawful", he insisted.
Parliament is due to vote on UK involvement in US-led attacks on IS positions in Iraq at about 17:00 BST.
London anti-war protestsDowning Street has said a small number of British troops could be sent to Iraq within hours if the Commons backs British military action, but not in a combat role.
The prime minister's official spokesman said they would be used to guide air strikes, in a humanitarian role and, possibly, to train Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces, although this may take place in neighbouring countries.
'Consensus' The government says it would not extend military action in Syria without a Commons vote unless there is an urgent humanitarian need to do so. Downing Street has pointed out that Mr Cameron has pursued a "very deliberate and measured approach" and had been determined "to keep consensus".
The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour all back action in Iraq, which has been requested by the Iraqi government, with Labour leader Ed Miliband insisting IS "cannot and should not be negotiated with".
The government is expected to win the vote comfortably although some MPs expressed concerns after Mr Cameron said he did not rule out similar action in Syria in the future.
In other developments:
IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months. The group, also known as Isis or Isil, has used tactics that have included beheadings of soldiers, Western journalists and aid workers.
Making the case for British action, Mr Cameron said the killing of a British hostage illustrated that the challenge was not "on the far side of the world" and the "brutal, terrorist organisation" was a "clear and proven" threat to UK lives.
"This is not the stuff of fantasy. It is happening in front of us and we need to face up to it," he said.
'Not fantasy' Citing attacks by IS on targets in Europe, and the growing number of foiled terror plots, he said the organisation "already declared war on us and there was no walk on-by option".
David Cameron: Mission against IS in Iraq will take "not just months but years"
Stressing that the UK had "unique assets" to contribute to the military offensive, he added: "It is our duty to take part. It is about protecting people on the streets of Britain."
Addressing concerns from MPs that the UK could be dragged into a long war, Mr Cameron said the use of combat troops would be "wrong" and conceded air strikes would not "roll back" IS alone but must be part of "comprehensive" political and humanitarian plan.
Referring to previous external interventions in Iraq, he added: "This is not 2003 but we should not use past mistakes as an excuse for inaction or indifference."
Failure to act in Iraq will make the situation even worse than the already "catastrophic consequences" of IS's advance there, Ed Miliband warned
Backing Mr Cameron on Iraq, Labour leader Ed Miliband said IS was a "murderous" organisation intent of "more killing" although he urged the endorsement of the United Nations for military intervention.
"There is no graver decision for our Parliament and our country. But protecting our national interest, security and the values for which we stand is why I will be supporting the motion this afternoon."
On Thursday, about 250 people protested outside the gates of Downing Street against the possibility of military action in Iraq.
Some MPs also questioned the objectives behind the military action.
Conservative backbencher Edward Leigh said airstrikes could be seen as "gesture politics", Labour's Denis Skinner warned of "mission creep" while Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said "killing extremists does not kill their ideas".
The government does not have to seek the approval of MPs to commence military action, but it has become customary to do so since this first happened over the Iraq war in 2003.
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Analysis by Jonathan Beale, defence correspondent
Six RAF Tornados in Cyprus have been ready to carry out air strikes for weeks. Their laser-guided bombs and missiles will be loaded and armed soon after Parliament gives the green light.
The Tornados have already been flying reconnaissance missions over Iraq and will have identified potential targets. But some of the obvious ones, like command and control centres, will have already been hit by US war planes which have been launching strikes for the past month.
The focus of their attacks have now switched to Syria itself. So the RAF will also be looking for targets of opportunity - such as IS fighters and vehicles on the move.
The expected intervention of the UK will not be a game-changer. During military intervention against Libya in 2011, the RAF had three times as many war planes involved. But the fight against IS will be more like a marathon than a sprint.
And the longer it goes on, IS will adapt its tactics, and airstrikes will inevitably become less potent.
Middle East map
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Black market The government's motion specifically rules out any attacks on IS in Syria, following the Commons' rejection of joining in air strikes in that country last year.
Downing Street said UK forces could join the bombing of targets in Iraq after the Iraqi minister of foreign affairs wrote to the United Nations seeking international assistance.
The US began a series of air strikes in Iraq last month, and on Monday it began attacks on targets in Syria.
Jets from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have joined US forces in the attacks, and the US says more than 40 countries have offered to join the anti-IS coalition.
Footage released by the Pentagon shows a strike on the Jeribe refinery in eastern Syria
IS has threatened to kill British hostage Alan Henning, whose wife pleaded for his release on Tuesday.
The threat was made in a video showing the beheading of British aid worker David Haines earlier this month. Also on Tuesday, IS released a second video showing UK journalist John Cantlie.
Meanwhile, in the US, FBI director James Corney says the bureau has identified the man referred to in the British press as "Jihadi John".
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said UK security services were frustrated at the FBI comments.
He said UK authorities "may well" have known the suspect's identity for weeks, but they wanted to gather as much intelligence as possible without "tipping their hand as to what they knew".
The suspected militant - whom the FBI is not naming at present - is thought to have appeared in IS beheading videos.
Speaking at the UN in New York on Wednesday evening, Mr Cameron said countries must stop their citizens travelling to join jihadist groups.
These apparently included Ibrahim Kamara, 19, from Brighton, whose mother Khadijah told the BBC her son had been killed in a US air strike in Syria on Monday.
She said her son, who had apparently joined al-Qaeda affiliate group Jabhat al-Nusra, had been "brainwashed".