DR. TULIA ACKSON TOLD TO REFORM GLOBAL PARLIAMENTARY BODY

 

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

Newly elected president of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Tulia Ackson has been urged to reform the organ. 

This would improve IPU's cooperation with the United Nations and regional inter-parliamentary organizations.

The call was made by the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) when it moved a Motion to congratulate her after her recent election. 

Dr. Ackson, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, was recently elected the 31st President of IPU during the latter's Assembly held in Luanda, Angola.

She is the first female President of IPU from the African continent and the first ever from eastern Africa.

Eala, the legislative organ of the East African Community (EAC), had earlier endorsed the 47 year old lawmaker from Tanzania for the position. 

In a Motion moved by the Tanzanian Eala member Dr.Shogo Mlozi, the regional Assembly said Dr. Ackson's election was a milestone for Africa and the EAC region.

"The IPU Presidency will certainly benefit Africans in giving a push to Agenda 2063 and the world at large", the Tanzanian lawmaker said. 

In a Motion seconded by Fatuma Ndangiza from Rwanda, Dr.Mlozi on the EAC to seize the IPU Presidency to promote African values and ideas worldwide. 

She described Dr. Ackson as a dynamic and remarkable lawyer "who has demonstrated leadership skills  throughout her career". 

Prior to her election, the National Assembly Speaker served as the President of the  African Geopolitical Group in the IPU.

However, Dr. Mlozi said the election of Dr. Ackson demonstrated that women from the EAC have been at the forefront of IPU Assembly leadership roles. 

Ms Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda deputy prime minister and minister for EAC Affairs, once served as IPU President for the African region.

Dr. Ackson took over as IPU President from Mr. Duarte Pacheco, a parliamentarian from Portugal, who concluded his three-year mandate at the end of the 147th IPU Assembly in Luanda, Angola.

With four candidates on the ballot, the new IPU President was elected with 57 percent of the votes after a single round of voting.

In a historic first, the three other candidates on the ballot – Ms. Adji Diarra Mergane Kanouté of Senegal, Ms. Catherine Gotani Hara of Malawi and Ms. Marwa Abdibashir Hagi of Somalia.

Ms Ackson is only the third woman President of the IPU after Najma Heptulla from India (1999–2002) and Gabriela Cuevas from Mexico (2017–2020). 

The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. 

It was founded more than 130 years ago as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. 

Today, it comprises 180 national Member Parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary bodies. 

It promotes democracy and helps parliaments become stronger, younger, gender-balanced and more innovative. 

It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee.