Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 476208,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/476208/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 268,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "in helping take regional integration matters to a higher level, we will do so.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, my submission is that for the last 50 years since Independence when the East African Community was initiated out of the East African High Commission and the East African Common Services Organization, we have not managed to take regional integration in this country to a higher level. Unfortunately, in 1978 when it really crescendoed to a higher level, it was brought down due to the political contradictions within the region and specifically among the leadership. As the Senate Majority Leader noted, we can again see political contradictions within the leadership restraining integration, being moved to a higher level in the region. He mentioned the tension between Tanzania and Rwanda, but it is not only that; the very concept of leadership or regional integration being too much centered at the top has somehow constrained imagination and advancement to regional integration. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Senate Majority Leader also underscored the Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo’s point that elected leaders should play a bigger role in enhancing regional integration. I would go further to say that rather than moaning the fact that we belong to other associations – like the CPA – nobody stops us from establishing the East African Parliamentary Association and do it within the context of the East African Legislative Assembly, which is not a directly elected body which should go via the Parliaments of the member states which is a rather weak way of electing people to that assembly. In Europe, for example, to sit in the European Parliament, you have to be elected within your member states. I would like to propose that we take regional integration to a higher level by electing, within member states, directly those who sit in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). They will have more legitimacy and will be held more directly accountable. At the moment, sitting in the EALA is a sinecure, quite often given largesse by political parties within the Member States who second their representatives to the Assembly. Secondly, in order to take regional integration to a higher level, the leadership of the East African Community (EAC) should be based on an election. It has been proposed that we have integration politically in East Africa. Why can we not go further and say that the President of the EAC integration or whatever you may call it, should be elected by Member States. Integration would move much faster. Kwame Nkurumah had proposed this many years ago with regard to the African Unity which did not succeed. However, in the East African region, we can move much faster. I know that President Museveni has had the ambition of being the first President of EAC. However, he should not be doing this via the club of Presidents. He should be doing this via being elected by citizens of East Africa. Should he dare stand for an election; I think I would stand against him and do fairly very well in the contest. Let me go a little bit further. Given our close trade relationship with both Rwanda and Uganda and given the fact that we have a common factor that brings these countries together; Lake Victoria, it is unfortunate that we have not used this resource as an integrative factor much more effectively up to now. The management of Lake Victoria as a resource has been left more to the initiative of donor agencies rather than to ourselves. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}