Says EAC had embarked on an irreversible journey towards multi-party democracy with elected Parliaments at the centre stage
East African Community Headquarters Arusha, Tanzania, 8 December 2010: The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) continued this week with its 2nd Meeting of the 4th Session in the Chambers of the Parliament of Uganda. The newly appointed Tanzanian Minister for East African Cooperation, Hon. Samwel Sitta together with Hon. Nsabimana Yves and Hon.Bucumi Emerence both from the Republic of Burundi were sworn in as new Members to the EALA on Tuesday 7 December 2010. The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Edward Ssekandi addressed the Assembly on Wednesday 8 December 2010.
While welcoming the Rt. Hon. Ssekandi to address the Assembly, the Speaker of EALA, Hon Abdirahin Haithar Abdi said EALA enjoyed a very cordial relation with all the National Assemblies of all the Partner States and “we always feel at home and a sense of belonging everywhere we go”. Adding that “however, Kampala will always remain special in the history of EALA. It is in Kampala that the first assembly held its first meeting outside Arusha as early as February 2002, just two months after it had been sworn in. Interestingly and worthy noting, is that the Second Assembly also held its first ever meeting outside Arusha, here in Kampala”. Hon Abdirahin Haithar Abdi disclosed that the Hon. Ssekandi was currently the Chairperson of the Bureau of EAC Speakers and was in the forefront of spearheading a number of institutional arrangements that the National Assemblies would like to see made in the East African Community. “The proposals are with the Council of Ministers and we hope that they will be tabled to the Summit for consideration” asserted the EALA Speaker.
Rt. Hon. Ssekandi highly commended the decision of the East African Legislative Assembly to rotate its plenary sittings among the capital cities of the Partner States as the practice had taken the Assembly to the people of East Africa, thereby enabling them to know and appreciate the role and the work of the Assembly and indeed the East African Community. It had also enabled the Members of the August House to understand and appreciate the contemporary political, economic, social and other issues which are high in the minds of the people of East Africa.
The Speaker of Uganda Parliament noted that over the recent years, the people of East Africa had witnessed an unprecedented move towards democracy in every Partner State and “with confidence, I can state that all the countries in the East African Community have embarked on an irreversible journey towards multi-party democracy with elected Parliaments at the centre stage” stated the Speaker. He said “right now Uganda was in the midst of political campaigns and we promise the region and indeed the entire world that Uganda will organise peaceful, free and fair elections”. Rt. Hon. Ssekandi reiterated that EALA was a collection of the voices of people of East Africa as they strive for peace, democracy and development and therefore, it was his humble appeal that the Assembly should work tirelessly to ensure that the people of the Community soon or later attain their dream.
The Speaker of Uganda Parliament urged the East African Legislative Assembly to continue playing its important role of promoting democratic governance in the region and to do this effectively, “it must effectively be representative of the people’s social and political diversity; it must encourage full participation of all the sections of the people of the region; it must ensure equal rights among them and must work in a way which the people of East Africa can see and understand; it must be accountable to the people and above all, it must be seen to be effective”.
The address by the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda was attended by among others the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Minister in the Office of the President responsible for EAC Affairs, Hon. Hafsa Mossi; Hon. Ministers of the East African Community Affairs in the Partner States (Prof. Hellen Sambili of Kenya, Samuel Sitta of Tanzania, Eriya Kategaya of Uganda, and Hon. Monique Mukaruliza from Rwanda); Hon. Members of the East African Legislative Assembly, the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Juma Mwapachu; the Counsel to the Community, Hon. Wilbert Kaahwa; and other invited guests.
