By Ebi Kesiena
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan vowed on Wednesday to restore competitive politics in the country and jump start a stalled process to review the constitution, long a demand of the opposition.
President Suluhu noted this while speaking to an opposition gathering celebrating the International Women’s Day.
“I promise you more reforms to build our new nation with competitive politics,” she said.
Hassan, in power for 23 months, has sought to restore democratic norms in the East African nation and extended overtures to her political rivals, including lifting a ban on opposition rallies in January.
“We are writing a new history today in efforts to unite our nation.
“If there is an issue, let us sit together, discuss and move on after consensus.” She said.
Hassan has been under pressure to break with the hardline policies of her predecessor John Magufuli, who died in 2021 after six years of heavy-handed rule.
On Wednesday, she promised to form a committee for constitutional reforms, without specifying the timelines.
Rights groups and opposition parties have been pushing hard for a rewriting of the constitutional to include change to limit presidential powers.
While Hassan has reversed some of the most controversial policies imposed by Magufuli, hopes however dimmed in July 2021 when opposition Chadema party leader Freeman Mbowe was arrested on terrorism charges. He was released after seven months but some critics labelled Hassan a “dictator.”
Mbowe, who attended the meeting on Wednesday, said they were ready to forge ahead with the government but demanded an overhaul of the electoral body and constitution ahead of the 2025 polls.
