EALA roots for a Stronger, more Effective Pan-African Parliament
EALA is rooting for an effective continental Assembly and one with legislative powers. Consequently, EALA yesterday afternoon passed a Resolution urging EAC Partner States to urgently sign, ratify and deposit the required instruments of the amended Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union. This shall enable the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to achieve one of its important pillar of legislation.
The Resolution presented to the House by Hon. Chris Opoka, on behalf of Hon. Mike Sebalu, notes that PAP has been exercising limited oversight, advisory role and consultative powers to the African Union, as the Organ that represents all peoples of Africa and the interests of Africans in the diaspora.
EALA qualifies to be a Parliament given its full legislative, oversight and representative nature. On its part, PAP is a deliberative body with consultative and advisory body. It is ideal that we have a PAP in both spirit and character as is EALA.
The Debate of the Resolution was stood over at the Plenary Sitting in Nairobi. Hon. Dr Odette Nyiramilimo moved under Rule 30 (c) to postpone debate on the motion to give Members time to consult the documents and the necessary Protocol to enrich the debate in future.
According to the mover, PAP which has been in existence for eleven years had 5 Presidents at the helm of the body. It has an overlapping nature that needs a defined term. At the moment, Members of PAP belong to National Assemblies / Parliaments and with the high turn-over at national assemblies, there is institutional challenges, Hon. Sebalu said.
The Heads of State and Governments of the African Union adopted the amended Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament on June 27th, 2014 at its Twenty-Third Ordinary Session held in Malabo in Equatorial Guinea. According to the Resolution, the amended Protocol requires 28 ratifications from AU Member States for it to come into force.
EALA is concerned that only 6 countries have signed the Protocol with only the Republic of Mali ratifying and depositing the instrument. The move has led the Pan-African Parliament to set itself a target of 2016 as the target for achieving all the required 28 ratifications.