TIME RIPE FOR US-TANZANIA PARLIAMENTARY EXCHANGE

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 001418 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT AF/E FOR B YODER, AF/RSA FOR K MOODY PASS TO PD, OFFICE OF CITIZEN EXCHANGE ALSO TO H FOR C NEARY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO OPRC KMDR TZ SUBJECT: TIME RIPE FOR US-TANZANIA PARLIAMENTARY EXCHANGE REF: A. STATE 0124091 ¶B. STATE 121382 ¶C. STATE 114479 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The Government of Tanzania (GOT) is ready and willing to establish a legislative exchange with the United States Congress. This sentiment surfaced quickly during a Congressional staff delegation from August 8-10 led by Matthew Szymanski, Chief of Staff for both the U.S.-China Parliamentary Exchange and the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee. Key Tanzanian parliamentarians including Speaker of the House, Hon. Samuel Sitta, and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Juma Akukweti, expressed great enthusiasm in response to Szymanski's proposition to create a U.S.-Tanzanian "parliament-to-parliament" exchange. Tanzanian officials underlined the timely nature of such an undertaking given their desire to strengthen legislative capacity. Post strongly believes that Tanzania, as one of the few stable advancing democracies in sub-Saharan Africa, would be an ideal choice should the U.S. Congress seek to expand its legislative exchange programs into Africa. END SUMMARY. GOT Enthusiastic on U.S.-Tanzania Parliament Exchange -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) The GOT indicated great interest in the prospect of establishing a legislative "parliament-to-parliament" exchange with the United States. StaffDel Szymanski's meetings in Dodoma with the Speaker of the House, Samuel Sitta, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Juma Akukweti, and several key Committee Chairpersons, revealed across-the-board agreement that such an exchange would facilitate mutual understanding, knowledge-sharing and important relationship-building. ¶3. (U) Minister Akukweti said that regularizing an exchange program would be "very, very useful" and promised to do everything possible to help make the program happen. Speaker Sitta said that a U.S.-Tanzania Parliament exchange "sounded excellent," and noted that Tanzania's Parliament borrowed a great many rules, ideas and procedures from the U.S. system and that an exchange program could prove beneficial as Tanzania's democracy matures. Likewise, the various committee chairpersons including the Vice Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, Adam Malima, Chair of the Defense Committee, Capt. George Mkuchika, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, John Cheyo, and Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mussa Zungu, expressed overwhelming support for the prospect of an exchange, agreeing to form a working group to push the proposal forward. Both Minister Akukweti and Speaker Sitta promised to write letters of interest and support to U.S. Congress' Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert. GOT Emphasizes Time is Right for Exchange -------------- ¶4. (U) Beyond the evident enthusiasm regarding setting up a legislative exchange, the notion that the time was now ripe for such a program echoed throughout StaffDel Szymanski's visit. Speaker Sitta told Szymanski: "You have come at the right time, a time when our government is making the move toward those values of democracy which are entrenched in the U.S. system; values of transparency and good governance." Similarly, the Chief of the Americas Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Pastory Ngaiza, noted that the time was right in Tanzania to begin an exchange with the U.S. Also, the head of the USAID-funded State University of New York (SUNY) program for parliamentary strengthening, Donna Bugby, reiterated this sentiment, saying that "the temperature was right in Tanzania for Parliament to work with the U.S. Congress and further develop the quality of the legislative system." Speaker Sitta Shows Willingness to Fund Travel -------------- -- ¶5. (U) The GOT raised the question of budgeting and available resources to implement a U.S.-Tanzania parliamentary exchange. Szymanski explained that the U.S. Congress has funds earmarked for travel that could be used to send U.S. legislators and staff to Tanzania. He also explained that there were resources within the State Department's office of Citizen Exchange that could possibly be used to host a Tanzanian delegation once in the U.S. but noted that these funds would not cover airfare. Surprisingly, while Minister Akukweti and several Chairpersons expressed concern for the expenses involved, Speaker Sitta said that the GOT would be able to budget for travel to the U.S. He emphasized that the exchange would be successful only if it were a true partnership. "We would not want support only from your side. Both sides must be willing to reciprocate travel and allocate some resources." Getting the Ball Rolling -------------- ¶6. (U) During the Szymanski StaffDel, Ambassador Retzer emphasized that he was willing to assist in anyway possible to engage with Capitol Hill on the proposal. Ambassador Retzer has already acted quickly, sending a letter of support to Speaker Hastert on August 11, just one day after the delegation's departure. On August 14, Vice Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Hon. Mussa Zungu, hand delivered a letter of support for Speaker Hastert to the Deputy Chief of Mission, endorsed by Speaker Sitta and signed by all Committee Chairpersons. The GOT, therefore, has demonstrated another measure of its enthusiasm about the potential exchange and its desire to get the ball rolling. Comment: Tanzania Offers Ideal Exchange Partner for U.S. Congress -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) There is no question of the GOT's interest in setting up a legislative exchange with the U.S. Congress. The proposal appears to be a "no-brainer" with every official recognizing the program's "win-win" potential. Two key questions remain: (i) Will the U.S. manage to identify a champion within Congress to promote an exchange with Tanzania? (ii) And will both the U.S. and Tanzania commit sufficient resources to jump-start the process? In post's view, a legislative exchange program is an opportunity not to be missed for the U.S. to reach out and influence one of East Africa's few advancing democracies. As Tanzania's attitude towards the U.S. warms from chilly skepticism to trust and admiration, opening up the legislative lines of communication would play an integral part in post's transformational diplomacy efforts. END COMMENT. RETZER