THERE is a possibility that future general elections in Tanzania will go hand-in-hand with those taking place in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi if the Elections Board of the East African Community (EAC) would harmonise regional poll processes.
This was among the agenda in the
recently held Bureau of Speakers’ Meeting, which brought together heads
of national assembly from the five EAC member states.
East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)
Speaker Daniel Kidega informed the meeting that EALA had passed the EAC
Elections Act, 2012, which envisages formation of the EAC Elections
Board, whose functions, inter alia, include developing, setting
standards and advising Partner States on best electoral practices.
The board’s mandate is to harmonise
electoral standards to be adhered to by the national electoral
commissions, noting that this is a fundamental contribution by EALA
towards strengthening electoral processes in the region as a way to
consolidate democracy. Kenya and Rwanda go to polls in 2017, a year
after Uganda’s February 2016 elections, while both Tanzania and Burundi
held theirs in 2015.
The Speakers from the five East African
countries, who have been meeting here, were also optimistic that the
operationalisation of the East African Parliamentary Institute (EAPI)
will build capacities for legislators, parliamentary staff and other
stakeholders in parliamentary practice in widening and deepening
integration.
The operationalisation is expected in
the next Financial Year once the EAPI Act, 2011, is gazetted by the EAC
Council of Ministers.
In addition, the bureau considered a
number of key areas deemed to strengthen integration as they held a one
day forum in Arusha last Friday.
In this regard, national legislatures
and the EALA are to commence the process of budgeting within the
Financial Year 2016/17, with the anticipated launch of the EAPI now in
high gear. Under the EAPI Act, 2011, the Speakers’ Bureau forms the
Board of Trustees and is expected to act conclusively on where the
institute shall be hosted and advise the Council of Ministers on the
same.
Mr Kidega also took over the Chair from
the Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania, Mr Job Ndugai. The chair is
on a one-year rotational basis. Mr Ndugai remarked that Tanzania was
making great strides in its role as an active Member of EAC and EALA.
He recalled that President John Magufuli
and his Rwandan counterpart, Mr Paul Kagame, inaugurated a One-Stop
Border Post (OSBP) on April 6, which he noted is an important milestone
towards facilitating regional trade and deepening EAC integration.
Speaker of the Kenya National Assembly,
Mr Justin Muturi and Speaker of the Senate Ekwee Ethuro as well as the
President (Speaker) of the Burundi Senate, Reverien Ndikuriyo, attended
the Forum.
Parliament of Rwanda was represented by
the Deputy Speaker, Mr Jean d’Arc Uwamaninpaye, while the Second Deputy
Speaker of the Burundi National Assembly, Nduwimana Edouard represented
the Speaker, Mr Pascal Nyabenda.
The bureau further received the
apologies of the Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, Ms Rebecca Kadaga. It
further amended the Rules of Procedures governing the Forum. With it,
the Speakers amended Clause 1.1 of the Rules to include the Speakers and
Presidents of the Senate as members of the Forum.
In addition, they revised clause 1.2 on
definitions deleting the terms “National Assemblies/ Parliaments” and
substitute thereof with the words “national legislature, however,
designated” wherever they appear in the Rules.
The meeting also underscored the need of enhancing the functional relations between the national legislatures and EALA.
The national legislatures have continued
to play their oversight role on matters on EAC Affairs in their
respective jurisdictions, including the need to expedite amendments to
the EAC Treaty. It was agreed thus EALA submits the proposed amendments
to the Treaty that it submitted to the EAC Council of Ministers with the
national legislatures.
In addition, a workshop of the network
of senior parliamentary officers is anticipated in the latter half of
the year. In his remarks, the Speaker of EALA, Mr Daniel Kidega,
reiterated the bureau’s enormous contribution in strengthening the role
of EAC Parliaments in the integration process in line with Article 49
(2) and 65 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC.
“In 2015, new members were elected to
the parliaments of Burundi and Tanzania and in 2016; citizens of Uganda
elected their representatives to the Parliament of Uganda. In the coming
year, the Bureau expects citizens of Kenya and Rwanda to go through the
same democratic process of giving their representatives fresh mandate,”
Mr Kidega said.
Mr Muturi added that it was vital for
the partner states to move towards the alignment of national political
activities and trends with regional integration objectives, deepen
integration and rapid socio-economic transformation so as to prepare for
and ultimately sustain the political federation.
The Senate of Kenya Speaker further
appealed to the bureau to assist Burundi to foster peace and
reconciliation in every possible way
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