Tanzanian Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye said on November 11 that all amendments as deemed necessary to the country's constitution should be effected by the parliament and not through pressure from any quarters.

Speaking at the 17th session of the National Assembly in the central town of Dodoma, the prime minister stressed that the three-government lobbyists shall never achieve their goals through intimidation, nor should they pretend to represent the feelings of all Tanzanians.

The present Tanzanian Union constitution has provided for a two- government system (the Union government and the Zanzibar government) and the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar has lived for more than 35 years in harmony, he said.

He said if there is anyone aspiring for a three-government system of union, or a union composed of the government of Tanganyika, the government of Zanzibar and the Union government, he or she should wait until other Tanzanians have their say on the issue.

The prime minister said the people are availed of the opportunity to express their views in the parliament and he praised all individuals, social groups and political parties for their contributions to the proposed constitutional changes.

He said the major challenge faced by Tanzanians after the demise of the founding president Julius Nyerere last month is how to utilize the national solidarity and skills to develop the country.

Sumaye's remarks on the Union comes about a week after the opposition camp in the on-going parliament session cautioned over the use of threats to sustain the Union.

The opposition said in the special National Assembly session held to pay tribute to Nyerere that the Union will never be nurtured, protected and sustained through threats and witch-hunting.

Opposition leader in the parliament Fatma Maghimbi said the current system of the Union has a lot of contradictions that need to be addressed and she suggested a union of three governments.

Zanzibar, comprising Unguja and Pemba, as well as a number of smaller islands, joined Tanganyika in 1964 in response to Nyerere's proposal to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

According to the Union constitution, the Zanzibar government has the right to deal with its domestic issues independently except those concerning diplomacy, national defense and security.