Elections 2010 EA federation; Political parties voices to be heard

nngu007

JF-Expert Member
Aug 2, 2010
15,862
5,797
kiraso.jpg


Ms. Beatrice Kiraso, EAC's Deputy Secretary- General in charge of Political Federation

With more than 150 political parties registered in the five partner states, the East African Community (EAC) is planning a political parties' forum where those with similar ideologies and
visions can interact in preparation for the region's ultimate goal of a political federation.
"After concluding national sensitization workshops for political parties [in the EAC
partner states], we are finalizing arrangements to convene a forum of all political parties," Ms. Beatrice Kiraso, EAC's Deputy Secretary- General in charge of Political Federation told the independent East African News Agency (EANA) at the sidelines of the just-ended EAC Media Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.


She said the forum would be in June, at a venue yet to be disclosed.
The forum, Ms Kiraso said, would assist the parties to kick-start preparations for political federation, the final objective of the EAC's integration process. Already, two stages of the EAC's integration process - a Customs Union and a Common Market - have been concluded. The EAC partner states are due to embark on the third stage, negotiations for the launch of a monetary union, soon.

Ms Kiraso said the EAC's political federation was a process, expected to go through vigorous discussions and debates with politicians, academicians, legislators and other stakeholders. "This is not a one-day event; it is a vigorous and thorough process and must be fully agreed by all in the partner states," she said.


All East Africans will be consulted on the proposed federation through a referendum, Ms Kiraso said, adding, "the five EAC partners are sovereign states and their people must be consulted over the move."

In 2010, an EAC Heads of State summit directed the EAC secretariat to form an experts group to look at the region's federation fears and recommend the way forward.


In recent years, several activities in political integration have been undertaken by the EAC, including foreign policy, governance and defence and security matters aimed at converging policies and practices to the agreed EAC standards.

During a retreat of EAC ministers and permanent secretaries in Tanzania's lake zone town of Mwanza a fortnight ago, Ms Kiraso said, it was resolved that the EAC Council of Ministers should recommend to the heads of state summit the beginning of constitution-making process.

"This does not mean that we are beginning the EA Federation," it means that the long complex process of discussing what sort of federation should it be and why, how leaders can get elected, what roles partner states will have in the arrangement, institutional mechanisms and what will be peoples' rights and obligations among others, she said.

The former EAC collapsed in 1977 mainly because of divergent political and ideological views among the three founding partners Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The regional bloc was revived in 1999, this time a people-centred and market-driven regional union, unlike the previous arrangement whereby leaders solely made decisions on behalf of their countries.

Rwanda and Burundi joined the EAC in 2007
 
Hakuna EAF wala mkia wake hii kitu ni mfu na hatuwezi kujiunga wakati kuna magenge ya wezi wanaokomba mpunga wa walipa kodi from every angle. Hivi sasa JK nchi imemshinda unafikiri ataleta longolongo jingine his time is up!
 
0 Reactions
Reply
Back
Top Bottom