The umbrella body of churches of Tanzania wants the Constituent Assembly that is reviewing the draft constitution postponed to make room for national reconciliation and allow the civic polls and general election to take place between 2014 and 2015 as scheduled.

The Christian Forum – which is made up of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference that represents Catholic bishops, the Christian Council of Tanzania comprising Protestant churches, the Council of Pentecostal Churches of Tanzania, and the Seventh Day Adventists -- also wants parliament to amend laws crucial for free and fair elections.

In a strongly worded letter, the forum accuses the Constituent Assembly of allowing legislators from the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi to take advantage of their numbers to push their party's interests to the detriment of the people's voice.

"The ongoing discussion at the CA has ignored to a large extent the opinion of the people in things like structure of the Union, reduction of the powers of the president and power of the people to take to task their legislators," it says.

However, in what looked like a case of a house divided, representatives of religious institutions at the Constituent Assembly rubbished the forum's criticisms of the Constituent Assembly.

The 201 members were appointed to the Assembly by President Jakaya Kikwete after considering recommendations from their respective groups.

Sheikh Hamid Jongo representing Muslims and Anglican Bishop (Rtd) Donald Mtetemela, representing the Christian Council of Tanzania, addressed the press in Dodoma on Wednesday and said the Assembly was being conducted according the law governing its activities and there was no reason to postpone it.

"We are surprised and saddened to learn that the process of writing the new constitution, which has been proposed by the people and this Assembly, has been subjected to a smear campaign and its image spoilt by our fellows who are outside the Assembly, groups, institutions and some media. People are being misled about the truth and legitimacy of the Assembly," the group said in a statement.

The contradictory statements by the religious groups present the latest twist in the Constitution review process that has been dogged with controversy.

According to the Christian Forum, the Constitution Review Commission that came up with a draft constitution conducted itself professionally.

But, the group says, "after the draft bearing the people's opinion was presented to the CA, the nation began to witness all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness."

It adds: "The CRC website was shut down without adequate explanation when the process was in progress... this has led to failure of the people to refer to the Draft constitution and its appendices and decide whether what is being discussed at the assembly is the same as what is in the draft," their letter states.

The Christian community in Tanzania has been vocal on pertinent socio-political issues in the country. During the initial stages of the constitution-making process, the Catholic Church requested and was allowed to form an interest group to present its views on the constitution.

It gathered opinion through justice and peace committees in all parishes countrywide, which were filtered and presented as the opinion of the Catholic Church.

The forum's letter indirectly threatens to mobilise the people to unseat CCM in the next election: "It should be noted that the people of Tanzania are above the members from Chama cha Mapinduzi.

So, we ask you (Mr President) to save the people of Tanzania from being mobilised to reject Chama cha Mapinduzi simply because it has ignored and rejected their opinions which were given in good faith..."

Reacting to the exchange between the two groups, political commentator and lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam Dr Benson Bana said: "To write a constitution is a political process. This process usually breeds groups, disagreements, open and clandestine lobbying. This what politics is all about."

He said the gist of opposing positions is the call to postpone the CA and the structure of the Union. According to him, even when Tanzania gets a new constitution, such positions will exist.

Referring to the opposition, which has boycotted the Assembly, he said: "Those who boycotted the CA have done nothing wrong. Their non-participation is politically correct but legally not right. I beseech them to hold on until campaign time so that they can use that opportunity to educate the people so that they can vote Yes or No to the proposed constitution," he said.

Deus Kibamba, the leader of Constitution Forum, a donor-funded constitutional watchdog, criticised the representatives of religious institutions in the CA. Mr Kibamba said the statement by Christian Forum is self-explanatory and no one could doubt its logical credibility.

"Considering the current situation, it is imperative that the CA will be postponed, not disbanded. We would want a smooth landing so that we are sure of amending the laws to give us a free and fair election," he said.

He told the government to beware of the voice of the spiritual leaders, "because they command the conscience of their followers".

"This is a pastoral letter. It will be read with authority to all faithful and dictate the way they should think and act," he said.

Last Sunday President Kikwete's meeting with representatives of political parties was shelved until next Monday to give time for the president to evaluate the demands of the political parties for postponement of the CA.

Sources told The EastAfrican that the president said the demands held water but he should be given time to think about them.

"Even Abrahman Kinana, the CCM secretary general, said he wished the CA would be postponed," a source who participated in the talks said.

The fate of the Constituent Assembly may lie in the outcome of Monday's second meeting between the president and political leaders. Analysts say the Christian Forum demand will influence the decision at Monday's meeting.