| dc.description |
In modern democracies, legislatures have numerous duties. As key states organs, they examine the legislative proposals in the process of their passage and are entrusted with overseeing executive’s responsibilities and to keep their eyes on government’s activities. Legislative committee system is the most critical structure that permits the members of legislators to divide up their labour and specialize in particular areas of activities. It is therefore the most significant legislative mechanism and is often referred to as the mini legislatures of their parent bodies. There is a tendency around the world to rely on committees for implementing much of the legislatures activities and this is because in legislative democracies, the committee systems assume great importance since legislatures by their very nature, cannot have complete oversight over governments and all their activities. In this regard, Zanzibar is not an exception. Being a partner state with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania, it has had familiarity with committee system since 1979 when the House of Representatives of Zanzibar was established. Since the formation of the House, the committee system has been a useful mechanism supporting the House of Representatives to discharge its oversight role in building accountability of the Government. However, the study findings revealed that despite the fact that, the committees of the House have been useful mechanism to the House, they have not served well intended purpose due to the lack of sufficient financial resources which has resulted in inefficient material resources such as transportation for rendering services for the House committees; the lack of sufficient office machines; the lack of sufficient training to the members and clerks of committees. On other side, the study found that, the House committees have not adequate formal power in their activities as a result they have failed to enforce their findings and decisions. All of these drawbacks, to a large extent, have contributed to the ineffectiveness of these committees in their oversight role. This study has been designed to assess the impacts of such drawbacks to the committees and the House in making accountability to the Government. On other side, the study has attempted to note a number of recommendations and among the key ones are the House of Representatives to strongly consider the establishment of real independent House Budget Office to guarantee the effectiveness of the House Committees in performing their over sight role over government; and the House to consider the changing of its standing orders so as to enable its committees to enforce their findings and decisions and to empower these committees to initiate legislation for the purpose of enhancing democracy and good governance in a country. |
|