Member: Protect Mwalimu, Karume

Dodoma. Constituent Assembly (CA) Standing Orders should expressly prohibit members from criticising Union founders, a CA delegate has suggested.

Ms Leticia Nyerere, who happens to be the daughter-in-law of one of the founding fathers of the Union, put forward the suggestion when debating the draft standing orders during a members’ seminar on Saturday.

She said the names of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, her father-in-law, and Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume should be mentioned in the regulations that will guide CA proceedings when the assembly begins its deliberations on the draft constitution.

Ms Nyerere warned that failure to ensure that the names of Mwalimu Nyerere and Sheikh Karume were sacrosanct during CA proceedings would give members the liberty to make disparaging remarks against the late leaders.

“It is surprising that we have passed Section 46(1)(e) without mentioning our elders. We should amend the section and ensure that their names will not be mentioned adversely. How can we continue with our discussions without providing them with immunity in the Standing Orders?” she queried.

Members passed the section earlier in the week after the Reverend Christopher Mtikila failed in his attempt to have the draft revised to allow members to freely debate the Union and Zanzibar presidents.

The opposition politician said prohibiting members from discussing the presidencies amounted to muzzling them and suppressing their freedom of expression.

Ms Nyerere said in her contribution that Tanzania would not be where it was today without Mwalimu Nyerere and Sheikh Karume.

“Without them we would not be here today smiling and enjoying our freedom,” she said adding:

“I don’t know why we overlooked this when we were debating Section 46. We were supposed to ensure that the dignity of our elders is safeguarded.” The chairman of the committee tasked with reviewing and fine-tuning the draft standing orders, Prof Costa Mahalu, said they would consider the suggestion.