By Hassan Abbas, Addis Ababa
All is now set for President Jakaya Kikwete to showcase the country’s endeavors in promoting governance in political, economic, corporate and socio-economic areas under the African Union governance assessment instrument-the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
According to the program of events released by the Continental APRM Secretariat in the meetings which take place in the margins of the AU Ordinary Summit here, Presidents of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete and his Zambian neighbor, Michael Sata will be reviewed.
The review of the two countries which is scheduled to be on 26 January, 2013 will be preceded by APRM preparatory meetings which start here today with the 59th meeting of the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons. A meeting of Ministers coordinating APRM processes in their countries will take place on Friday.
APRM is mandated to periodically review progress on good governance through wide consultations of the people at the national level and then a country is finally reviewed by its peers-the rest of the African Heads of States and Governments for constructive discussions on how to move ahead.
The President Jakaya Kikwete confirmed his participation in the review meeting after a meeting with officials from the APRM Tanzania- a local secretariat of the Continental wide body at State House in Dar es Salaam on Thursday last week in Dar es Salaam.
“I thank you for a very good work done in coordinating the process in Tanzania. Now I’m more than confident of attending the peer review Forum to present the views of my fellow Tanzanians,” said the President after meeting the officials of the APRM Tanzania National Governing Council and its Secretariat.
Briefing the President on the process in Tanzania last week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Bernard Membe whose Ministry coordinates the process in Tanzania, said the review of Tanzania was objective one.
“The report has highlighted the best practices we have in various areas of governance and the challenges that we are facing which should be resolved,” said Minister Membe.
Tanzania signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the APRM on the 26th May, 2004 and secured formal admission into the process on the 8th July 2004. On the 1st February, 2005 the Tanzanian Parliament ratified the APRM Memorandum of Understanding.