Kikwete: We took up Kadhi court agenda from Mrema

By Pius Rugonzibwa

President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday declared that the introduction of Kadhi courts was not a specific policy initiative of CCM, of which he is chairman. The idea of re-introducing the Kadhi court was not his personal agenda either, he declared before a major consecration ceremony for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). The President made the declaration as he officiated at the consecration of Archbishop Dr Alex Gehaz Malasusa as the new presiding bishop of the ELCT, held at Azania Front Cathedral in Dar es Salaam. It is the President's first public position on the hotly disputed issue, where sections of the community are pitted in support and opposition of plans to take to Parliament a bill to re-introduce Kadhi courts and enshrining the parallel legal structure in the Constitution of the United Republic. "It was not my own agenda and the election manifesto is not prepared by presidential candidates. We adopted it from opposition parties (Augustine Mrema's TLP) and put it into our manifesto so that we can thoroughly carry it forward,"the President explained. "I urge the public to be patient because we've forwarded the matter to the Law Reform Commission so that we can get professional advice on the matter," he further stated. He said he had decided to fully utilise yesterday's opportunity to put the record straight as some politicians were deliberately misinterpreting it for their political interests. President Kikwete said it was unfortunate that the issue has become hot now but basically it was initiated far back in 1995 by opposition political leaders. He reminded religious leaders and other dignitaries present at the service that the initiator of the agenda was Mr Augustine Mrema, the national chairman of the opposition Tanzania Labour Party followed by Mr Thomas Ngawaiya, then Moshi Rural MP on a TLP ticket, seeking the issue to be debated in the National Assembly. "This issue was then brought to the National Assembly and had it not for the wisdom of the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Pius Msekwa , the story could have been different today," the President noted. According to him, Mr Msekwa directed the issue to a parliamentary committee chaired by Mr Athumani Janguo, which recommended that it be researched further. The Law Reform Commission was then asked to take it up and its report is expected in February. When reached for comment, Mr Mrema said that he had good intentions when he introduced the issue, "but now it has been mishandled." Addressing the gathering, outgoing ELCT presiding bishop Dr Samson Mushemba said that the country was saddled with excessive selfishness and corruption than any other time in its history. He challenged the government to review penalties imposed on corruption offences, calling for penalties to be raised ten times in order to redress the situation. The agenda on corruption was also mentioned by Thomas Skernes, guest bishop of the Northern Great Lakes diocese in Michigan State in the US, who urged Archbishop Malasusa to tell the Government the truth about various matters be it in economic areas, education and general welfare of the people. Archbishop Malasusa mentioned corruption, theft of natural resources, embezzlement, and all other related issues as the major challenges facing the country. He also turned on the current religious debate on kadhi courts, praying that God help Tanzania to keep away the simmering conflict. He said it will be a great shame if Tanzania will produce refugees who run out of the country because of newly created religious conflicts. At the current session of the legislature, Prime Minister Edward Lowassa was quoted saying that the government does not plan to table a bill on Kadhi courts during this session. His reaction came just a day after Democratic Party chairman Rev. Christopher Mtikila petitioned the High Court in Dar es Salaam to stop the legal process for setting up Kadhi courts.

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