President Jakaya Kikwete has reiterated the government’s commitment to guaranteeing freedom of opinion and expression, in order to strengthen democracy in contemporary Tanzania. President Kikwete said that Tanzania had since made positive inroads in its efforts to embrace all facets of democracy, including freedom of expression and opinion. The President, who is on a week-long working tour of the United States, made the remarks on Tuesday when he met Tanzanians living in Southern California.
Mr Kikwete said his government was also promoting key social values such as liberty, respect, harmony and tolerance, all of which would significantly contribute to peace and tranquillity in Tanzania. However, the president expressed concern over cases of abuse of these individual rights, saying freedom of expression and opinion are not the same thing as hurling insults or derogatory public utterances against other people.
But he expressed optimism that such outrageous tendencies would soon come to an end when people eventually build a culture of tolerance and political maturity. On dual citizenship, the president reiterated this was yet to be resolved and that “a significant number” of the local population back home was still against it. Meanwhile, the president has called on Tanzanians in the Diaspora – yet again to support the country’s collective development effort -- as a means of improving the living standards in their mother country.
Mr Kikwete was addressing another ‘meet-the-president’ session with Tanzanians living abroad, the same at the Beverly Hills Hilton – also in Los Angeles. He stressed the need for all those living abroad to plough back recourse at home – even as they help to provide assistance to the needy and their own relatives. The president also outlined a catalogue of achievements made during his office so far, especially in social and physical infrastructural developments.
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