Three governments idea driven by self interest, says Ngombale-Mwiru

Veteran politician Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru speaks with journalists (not in picture) on the draft constitution at his home in Dar es Salaam yesterday. (Photo: Correspondent Atuza Nkurlu)

A long serving CCM cadre yesterday came out to register his objection against the proposed three-tier government structure in the first Constitution Draft, saying the proposal was geared to kill the Union.
Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru called a press conference yesterday at his home in which he raised serious concern on the proposal in the draft, saying the propagators of the idea were more driven by self interest.
According to Kingunge, the propagators of the three government system ought to understand that such an arrangement would also bring about operational complaints as it is the case with problems facing the current union today.
“It’s strange to say without three governments the existing union will die. We managed to survive with the union under the two governments for the past 50 years and the union is still strong,” he argued.
He warned a few people who take the issue of union grievances as the main cause for demanding three tier governments by breaking the long existing system of two governments, arguing that the proposal is caused by lack of seriousness.
Kingunge explained that every country in this world has its constitutional nuisances and there is no system which will completely remove governmental and other inconveniences since the country is ruled by popular mandate. “Therefore three is no way you can stay away from those grievances,” he asserted.
Kingunge noted that some existing union nuisances are caused by failure of some public officials who have been weak in performing their duties.
“We leaders have the weakness of not liking to speak openly and transparently the problems that face the community, until crises happen, and that is when we start dealing with it and not early on.”
However, Kingunge has rejected adoption of dual nationality arguing that it will cause conflict of interest because the nationality issue goes together with patriotism.
“The matter of dual citizenship is really disappointing me considering that we were fighting to get nationality from the British and we were not freely given,” he said, expressing surprise at the ruling party’s decision of supporting dual citizenship in the constitution. “I strongly reject this proposal,” he declared.
Kingunge commented that those who propose dual citizenship have their interest because they want that nationality for financial interest.
He rejected the point that having dual citizenship will help local people living outside to support the country’s economy by investments, saying there are countries with single citizenship and they still support their countries.
The issue of dual citizenship will completely take out the patriotism as each country has its own policies toward patriotism, the veteran cadre maintained, espousing the values of stalwarts of the Arusha Declaration staunchly opposed to the proposal.
He similarly expressed his disappointment over the increasing gap between rich and poor, which makes the country begin to experience divisions.
He said he is surprised with the constitutional draft failing to address the situation, whereby the disadvantage group in the country was being left out, noting that the number of poor people in the country is increasing, as data show that more than 15 million people live below one dollar a day.
Senior people in Parliament had started campaigning for the presidency, he said, intimating that what happened in Parliament this week is to mislead the society, especially the youth.
In another development, the Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Students Organization (TAHLISO) has proposed more time to discuss the terms of the union in detail rather than to rush to propose the structure of the union as people have not yet had the opportunity to discuss the union in detail.
TAHLISO chairman Amon Chakushemeire told a press conference yesterday that the union issue is still conflicting and is directly linked with the sense of national identity among Tanzanians.
He said that it is not a government or political parties’ issue but something that all Tanzanians should discuss especially on the importance of the existence of the union.
TAHLISO had suggested that the constitutional review commission (CRC) should advise the president to allow the constitution draft to proceed on other aspects except the element of union.
He however said that the rights of mentally retarded people should be included in the new constitution because they have basic rights like other citizens.
TAHLISO was also suggesting that in the new constitution the rights of men should be identified because men are slightly fewer in the country compared to women.
NCCR-Mageuzi Acting Secretary General Mosena Nyambabe suggested that the terms land and human resources are not explained well in the draft of the constitution, urging the commission to address the issue more directly.
He also thanked the commission for taking many of their recommendations included in the constitution draft, including the issue of having a three tier government system.
“On 7th January 2012 NCCR-Mageuzi recommended 31 issues which had to be included in the new constitution and we are pleased to see many of our recommendations are in the constitution draft,” he declared.