MPs collect signatures to recal EALAl Speaker

[ByaseL]

By Moses Walubiri
HARDLY a year after being elected first female Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Margaret Zziwa is walking a tight rope in her efforts to calm stormy waters as a section of MPs bay for her blood over a controversial decision to have the House sit only in Arusha, Tanzania.
A section of EALA members is concerned that the decision will blur the visibility of the nascent regional parliament and will hit MPs outside Tanzania hard in the pocket.
According to the East African newspaper, MPs are collecting signatures to boot Zziwa out over a decision they claim she supported, yet she is meant to be neutral by virtue of chairing the commission.
The EALA commission, during its June sitting in Kampala, scrapped the tradition of holding plenary sessions in rotation within member countries.
The decision for EALA to sit in rotation was adopted in 2009 by the second EALA parliament under the stewardship of Abdulrahman Abdi, a Kenyan, who was the Speaker at the time.
Sources in Arusha say the commission’s decision to reverse this position was majorly informed by the need to reduce expenditure, which the rotation sitting arrangement entails.
With 35 members of staff and 52 legislators from the five member countries mandated to attend every plenary session, EALA spent sh2.5b on the five sessions held in the five member countries last year.
“MPs have petitioned the Speaker to have the decision rescinded,” Dan Kidega, a Ugandan representative, said.
“The decision has not gone down well with members because we were never consulted,” Kidega said.

 

[Geza Ulole]

BTW kuna umuhimu wabunge kuwa representative haitii akili Tanzania yenye watuzaidi ya mara nne ya watu wa Rwanda (11 mio.) kuwa na Wabunge sawa . Haya malumbano ni matokeo yake uwiano uliopo sasa unaoipa kiburi Rwanda katika kutaka kukandamiza interest za Tanzania katika Bunge la Afrika Mashariki! Hatuwakilishi vyema napendekeza itumike ratios kama ilivyo EU parliament ambapo Ujerumani ina wabunge wengi zaidi kutokana na nchi yao kuwa na watu wengi zaidi millioni 86. Rwanda mbali ya kuwa na watu wachache ina Wabunge watano kama Tanzania na inalipa ada ndogo ukilinganisha tanzania. kama nchi wanachama watakataa pendekezo hili basi Tanzania ijitoe. Rwanda hii ilikuwa inagombea ku-host archives za ICTR wakati ikijulikana wazi dhamira ya Kagame kuzitumia kuwawinda au kuwa-black mail washitakiwa. Hawa watu choyo yao inawasumbua the EU parliament ipo Strasbourg na siskii wakigombania wakae wapi maana shughuli zote za uendeshaji ziko huko. Pambaf zao!

 

[chash]

BTW kuna umuhimu wabunge kuwa representative haitii akili Tanzania yenye watuzaidi ya mara nne ya watu wa Rwanda (11 mio.) kuwa na Wabunge sawa . Haya malumbano ni matokeo yake uwiano uliopo sasa unaoipa kiburi Rwanda katika kutaka kukandamiza interest za Tanzania katika Bunge la Afrika Mashariki! Hatuwakilishi vyema napendekeza itumike ratios kama ilivyo EU parliament ambapo Ujerumani ina wabunge wengi zaidi kutokana na nchi yao kuwa na watu wengi zaidi millioni 86. Rwanda mbali ya kuwa na watu wachache ina Wabunge watano kama Tanzania na inalipa ada ndogo ukilinganisha tanzania. kama nchi wanachama watakataa pendekezo hili basi Tanzania ijitoe. Rwanda hii ilikuwa inagombea ku-host archives za ICTR wakati ikijulikana wazi dhamira ya Kagame kuzitumia kuwawinda au kuwa-black mail washitakiwa. Hawa watu choyo yao inawasumbua the EU parliament ipo Strasbourg na siskii wakigombania wakae wapi maana shughuli zote za uendeshaji ziko huko. Pambaf zao!

Wewe bado ujashtukizia kwamba sasa hivi wanachama hawapo comfortable kuja Arusha vikao? Wanaona wanakuja kupoteza mda kwenye mada zisizo kuwa na makubaliano. Mimi naona tunakoelekea kama Tanzania hawatatoa msimamo wao vizuri kwenye muungano wataambiwa adios amigos! au revoir! bye bye! kwaheri!