PROPOSAL FOR KADHI COURTS SET TO SPARK FIERCE DEBATE

President Jakaya Kikwete.PHOTO|FILE 

By  The Citizen Reporter

Dodoma. The government’s decision to introduce Kadhi courts is among issues expected to dominate Parliament’s first sitting of the years, which starts today.

Among laws lined up for amendment is the Islamic Law (Restatement) Act (Cap 375), which seeks to introduce Kadhi courts.

A Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill number 2 shows that the Islamic Law (Restatement) Act will be amended in its section three to include Kadhi’s courts among courts which are capable of dealing with Islamic issues.

“The principal Act is amended in Section 3, by inserting after the words “all courts” the words Written Laws including Kadhi’s courts,” reads part of Section 21 of the Miscellaneous Amendments Bill which is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament.

The bill also gives the Mufti powers “to make rules of court providing for the procedure and practice that would be applicable in Kadhi courts.

To make decisions by Kadhi courts enforceable, the bill also seeks to give the Minister mandate to make rules providing for enforcement of decisions, rulings and orders of Kadhi courts.

However, the government has distanced itself from financing the Kadhi courts as it proposes in the bill that Kadhi courts shall be self financed and parties shall subject cases and matters for determination by the Kadhi courts on voluntary basis.

However, politicians expectations to see amendments of the electoral laws have been delt a blow as such laws have not been included in the tight schedule of the Parliament sitting.

Many people expected that such laws would be amended in this session in line with agreement reached by talks between President Jakaya Kikwete and Tanzania centre for Democracy (TCD) last year.

A total of 13 acts are lined for amendment but among them there are no electoral acts as anticipated.

A tight timetable has been set for the 18th Parliament sitting, which starts here today. This is apparently due to the fact that being the last session before the Budget session, heading to dissolution of the law making organ, it is supposed to deal with its unfinished business as quick as it can.

According to a time table released here yesterday, not only the session will start with serious business on the first day of its meeting, but it work on Saturdays in order to ensure that all pending issues are completed within the next two weeks.

Customarily, only questions and answers session is slotted for the first day, but this time the schedule shows that Bunge will start with bills on the first day, with a vote on the Value Added Tax (VAT) Bill taken immediately after questions and answers session today.

CREDIT SOURCE: THE CITIZEN