Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, January 30, 2024.
Committee, MPs wants election laws to have provisions for combating gender-based violence
Using their own experiences, members of parliament are calling for gender-based violence to be recognized as an election offense.
Anne Kilango Malecela, a seasonal member of parliament who has been serving since 2005 shared how her campaign was almost impeded by violence from her ex-husband.
“I am a victim of gender-based violence and I have been competing in elections since 2005. While I understand there are laws for curbing gender-based violence, there needs to be a provision in election laws,” said Malecela, a CCM member of parliament now serving Same Mashariki.
Malecela went on to share her own experience in a speech, which she concluded by urging the government to ensure there is a provision.
“In 2005, just two weeks into the campaign, my competitor humiliated me by intentionally using matters in my marriage. I was shocked to find every woman in my campaign team had left,” recounted Malecela.
“When I asked around, they told me that the men were not happy as they had been informed, I had taken my husband to the Police. But the issue was; amid separation with my husband, he had burned me with a hot iron so, I had to run to the Police,” continued Malecela. Read the full story here.
Parliament debate on election bills to conclude on February 02
The discussion on the three election bills including the National Electoral Commission Bill, Presidential, Parliamentarians, and Councilors Election Bill, and the Political Affairs Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 commenced yesterday January 30, 2024, and is expected to be concluded in parliament on February 02, 2024, with a third reading and passage of the bills.
The bills have returned to the parliament chambers for discussion following a public hearing which was conducted between January 06 and 10,2024.Several issues were discussed yesterday with both the Government and the Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee issuing their positions.
One of the areas that the government has agreed with stakeholders is the naming of the Electoral Commission. Several stakeholders have proposed the naming of the commission to be named as the Independent Electoral Commission.
At first government argued that changing the name would contradict the constitution, but stakeholders argued that this would not be the case as the Constitution has not set a specific name for the commission.
In the government submission regarding the National Electoral Commission Bill, which was read yesterday by Minister Jenista Mhagama , the government accepted the proposal of ensuring the word independent is included in the commission name.
Another issue is the compromise proposed by the committee on not using council directors as return officers during election, many stakeholders outside the government disagree with this practice.
The committee proposed that election bill should not make it a must for the return officers to be council directors as some of them are unqualified, instead, the committee proposes senior civil servants and any other qualified person to be used as return officers.
“The committee was of the opinion that the law should not require the Executive Director to oversee the election; instead, there should be provisions for a senior public servant or any other qualified person to be appointed as an election supervisor or assistant election supervisor,” said Joseph Kizito Mhagama, Chairperson of the Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee
Government wants fishing to contribute more to the Tanzania economy
President Samia Suluhu said that the contribution of the fishing sector is still at a very low level compared to the potential and pushed for the ramping up of the sector. This was said during a function at Bismark Mwanza, where the government provided 160 boats expected to benefit 989 fishers and 222 fishing cages.
At the present fishing sector contributes about 1.8 percent of Tanzania’s GDP and employs about six million people in the country.
One of the strategies that the government is expecting to undertake is establishing a database containing key information about the sector, which is considered one of the steps towards formalization of the sector.
One Response
Does the Parliament decision to name the electoral commission Independent Electoral Commission’ also give it ‘independence’ from government intervention and direction?
Who will appoint the Electoral Commission members?
What happens if some citizens dispute the results of the presidential [or any other] election results.
Will the courts now be free to hear and judge these cases fairly and impartially?
Have they set a punishment for those who will be found guilty of rigging or in some way stealing electoral votes? Are police powers to intimidate and roughen electors who vote against a political party removed; and are intrigues prohibited during the election?