PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has urged Tanzanians in the Diaspora to persuade and illustrate the significance of dual citizenship to members of the Constituent Assembly (CA) to ensure the issue is included in the ongoing debates for the envisaged new constitution.
The second draft of the constitution which is presently being debated by members of the CA in Dodoma did not contain the matter of dual citizenship.
"I don't have the authority to force it into the CA but it is your case and you can well present it to the members of the assembly for consideration in the new constitution," Mr Kikwete said.
The gathering brings together Tanzanians living and working in Europe, America, Asia and elsewhere in the world. He challenged them to come out and present their case to the CA rather than discussing the matter in social media networks.
"Very few of you turned up when CRC was collecting views during compilation of the first and second draft, we tried to advocate for the issue through the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) constitutional forum but our pleas were not considered by the commission.
"Do not expect ordinary Tanzanians to press for dual citizenship, it is you who should do so. I appointed one member of the CA from the Diaspora to present your views but he cannot do it himself, you ought to support him by lobbying with members of the assembly," Mr Kikwete told the Diaspora community.
The existing constitution does not allow dual citizenship and one has to renounce his/her Tanzanian nationality when he/she wants to become a citizen of another country.
If the new basic law does not include dual citizenship then it means that even if the country is to formulate legislation to that effect it won't give required status to the countrymen as it would have been through the constitution, the president noted.
He said he had no problem with dual citizenship since he has observed how other countries which allow dual citizenship have made use of their citizens who acquired citizenship of other countries to develop their home nations.
The president on the other hand encouraged them to contribute to efforts of building the national economy through remittances and investments as well as know-how in various fields.
"Investments are crucial for any country to develop, you have to come back home and invest and convince foreign investors in the countries you live to come here.
You should also look for foreign markets of locally made products," he told them.
The two-day gathering is expected to encourage and showcase investment and business opportunities that are available in the country to the Diaspora community and how they can use them to bring about economic growth, according to Director of Diaspora Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Speaking at the occasion, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda urged the Diaspora community to make good use of existing opportunities by investing at home.
Daily News
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