Emergency House session to legalise Isles unity govt

Emergency House session to legalise Isles unity govt
By Mwinyi Sadallah
5th June 2010

ZEC Director Salum Kassim Ali

Constitution amendment to allow the formation of the government of the national unity in Zanzibar will be made at an emergency meeting of the Isles House of Representatives.

This follows the decision to hold the referendum on the unity government issue on July 31 while the House of Representatives will have officially been dissolved on July 16, Secretary of the House Ibrahim Mzee Ibrahim, said here yesterday.

Briefing journalists about the budget session for the fiscal year 2010/2011, Ibrahim said if the people of Zanzibar will accept the formation of the government of the national unity there would be a need of calling for an emergency meeting of the House of Representatives.

“If majority of the people of Zanzibar will support the changes in the government system there will be a need to call an emergency meeting for amendment of the constitution,” he said.

He said after dissolving the House of Representatives, all the members would be required to go back to their constituencies for preparations of the coming general elections slated for October this year.

The referendum exercise which will be held on July 31 follows recommendation reached by Chama Cha Mapinduzi National Executive Committee in Butiama as a step towards ending the political squabbles in Zanzibar.

Zanzibar Electoral Commission has started to train election stakeholders on the referendum which will decide whether the government of the national unit should be formed or not.

ZEC Director Salum Kassim Ali said that 5,000 centres were expected to be used for implementing the exercise in Unguja and Pemba.

However, the formation of government of the national unity in Isles has resulted into divisions among ruling party and government leaders in Zanzibar with some claiming that the issue was against the CCM policy and the basis of the Zanzibar revolutionary of 1964.

On the government budget, Ibrahim said it was expected to be tabled by Minister of State in President’s Office (Finance and Economy) Mwinyihaji Makame next Wednesday, June 9.

He said a total of 102 questions would be asked by members of the House before it is dissolved.

The Zanzibar government budget will be discussed at a time when the Isles is grappling with high inflation following the high prices of oil.