Civic United Front Secretary General, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad

Civic United Front Secretary General Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad has called on party members and supporters to come forward in big numbers to contribute their views on the new constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania and ignore those who don’t want people to contribute their views.

Maalim Seif who is also the first vice president of Zanzibar, said this when addressing a public rally held at Wete district, Mgogoni constituency, in Pemba Island.

He said that the opportunity given by President Jakaya Kikwete to make big changes on the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania by involving all people had never happened for the past fifty years since Tanganyika’s independence and later on the United Republic of Tanzania.

He said his party has been demanding review of the constitution to get a new one which meets interests of the two sides of the Union, something which God has heard.

"For a long time CUF has been demanding review of the constitution, now God has heard us and we Zanzibaris have our own constitution that clearly explains the procedures of getting the president, representatives, Members of Parliament and distribution of power. Therefore I call upon you all to come forward without fear to air your views” he said.

He called on people to respect other peoples’ views saying everybody was free to exercise his democratic right on what kind of the union he or she wanted.

However, he called on Zanzibaris who have reached 18 years and those who don’t have the Identity cards of Zanzibar residence to make sure that they get them because they would be used during the constitutional review process.

Earlier, the Minister for constitutional and justice Abubakar Khamis Bakari told the public rally that the constitutional review commission was free to conduct its activities in Zanzibar after the law number four of 2012, which formed the commission received go ahead from the house of representatives.

He said that the commission will officially launch its activities in Dar es Salaam on June 19 and in Zanzibar on June 21, adding that throughout the process, the government would respect the views of all people.