By THE CITIZEN

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Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has picked Finance Minister Philip Mpango for vice president.

The name has been presented to parliament for approval. The country’s constitution says the vice president has to be approved by at least 50 per cent of the Members of Parliament. The vice president position is also supposed to be filled within 14 days of it being vacant.

The VP position was left vacant after Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as President following the death of Dr John Pombe Magufuli. President Suluhu took her oath of office on March 19, meaning that she has until this Friday to fill the VP post.

Dr Mpango, 63, has been the Minister for Finance and Planning since November 2015. He is also the MP for Buhigwe constituency in Kigoma, northwestern Tanzania.

He previously held positions as the Acting Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the Executive Secretary in the President’s Office (Planning Commission), the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs, and the personal assistant to the President (Economic Affairs).

He has also worked as the head of the President’s Economic Advisory Unit, senior economist for the World Bank, visiting lecturer in Public Economics, Collaborative Masters programme for Anglo-phone Africa, AERC, Nairobi-Kenya, and lecturer, Economics Department at the University of Dar es Salaam.