The Commonwealth
Tanzania to host Commonwealth forum for governing and opposition parties
4 May 2012
Forum bringing together representatives from government and opposition
parties and civil society from East Africa
Governing and opposition parties from East Africa will attend a
Commonwealth forum in Tanzania next week to discuss their roles, rights
and responsibilities in ensuring a flourishing democracy.
Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba will lead
a strong delegation from the Commonwealth Secretariat to the event in
the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The forum, held in partnership
with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), brings together
representatives from parties and civil societies from Kenya, Rwanda,
Seychelles, Tanzania and Uganda.
The sixth in a series aimed at exploring the relationship between
government and opposition parties and their contribution to the
democratic process, the Tanzania forum will be co-hosted by the Speaker
of Tanzania's National Assembly, Anne Makinda. Similar forums have
taken place in the Caribbean, Southern Africa, Pacific, West Africa and
Asia.
A constructive partnership between government and opposition parties is
essential to ensure that the democratic process can take effect. The
government must acknowledge the democratic space for other viewpoints
to exist, while the role of the opposition is to hold governments
accountable in a constructive and legitimate way, Mrs Masire-Mwamba
said ahead of the Tanzania visit.
The aim of this forum is to contribute to the creation of a
constructive partnership between government and opposition parties in
each country. While they may be political adversaries, they share a
common national responsibility and obligation of nation-building and
advancing the prospects of real development human, political, social
and economic - of the people of their respective countries. This can
only be achieved if the political system works constructively for the
welfare of all, not if it creates or exacerbates ruptures in society,
Mrs Masire-Mwamba added.
We also seek to explore the ways in which other stakeholders - from
civil society, oversight institutions and media - can further
contribute to the development of the democratic process by ensuring
transparency and accountability in public life, she said.
Some 30 representatives of political parties are expected to attend the
forum to be addressed by a list of leading political figures, including
former Ghana President Jerry Rawlings, Speaker of Uganda's National
Assembly Rebecca Kadaga and Speaker of Rwanda's National Assembly Rose
Mukantabana.
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