EALA WANTS BIGGER ROLE IN EA FEDERATION PROJECT

 

 The East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) wants a bigger role in the East African political federation project.

It says lack of its participation has denied the people's representative an opportunity to contribute to the process.

Fatuma Ndangiza, a lawmaker from Rwanda

"It also undermines Eala’s statutory mandate of oversight of the integration process,” lamented Fatuma Ndangiza, a lawmaker from Rwanda.

She told the virtual sitting of the regional Assembly that low involvement of the House in the constitutional process was a setback.

Ms Ndangiza, who is the House Chair of the Committee of Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution was tabling a report on the EA political integration.

The report called on the East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers, the policy organ of the Community, to have Eala fully roped in.

The House involvement is much needed in the formulation of the Constitution of East Africa, should the political federation project sail through.

"The move would allow the legislative organ to exercise its oversight and representative mandate in the EAC", she said.

Dr. Abdullah H. Makame (Tanzania) said Eala has not only been put on the periphery in the political federation project but also in the electoral processes.

"When it comes to oversight of the electoral processes Eala should always be in the bigger picture", he pointed out.

The EAC requires $ 4.8million to accomplish its Political Federation project mostly for drafting the Constitution of the desired union.

Drafting of the EAC Political Confederation - a transition to political federation -is being undertaken by a team of Constitutional Experts nominated by the six partner states.

The 18-member team is chaired by  Justice Dr. Benjamin Odoki, the Chief Justice Emeritus of Uganda and the process was projected to be completed in 2022 with its adoption by the Summit.

U T I L I T Y

The Political Federation is the fourth and ultimate pillar in the EAC integration process after the Customs Union, the Common Market and the East African Monetary Union. In May 2017, the Summit of EAC Heads of State agreed on the Political Confederation as a transitional model to the Political Federation.

In February 2018, the Summit through the Council of Ministers constituted a team of 18 Constitutional Experts and Legislative Draftspersons to draft a Constitution for the Political Confederation. The team was tasked with developing a Draft Constitution for consideration by the Summit. At its 20^th Ordinary Meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania in February 2019, the Summit requested the team to provide it with a preliminary report by November 2019.