EAC has no favoured presidential candidate yet

By Francis Kagolo

There is no particular candidate proposed to be the first president of the East Africa Community (EAC), if the political federation is fully implemented, secretary general Dr. Richard Ssezibera has said.

Speaking at the Vision Group headquarters in Kampala, Ssezibera said discussions are being held and suggestions have been made on how best the three arms of the regional government will be established.

Although realising a political federation may take a little longer, Ssezibera said the secretariat had already designed a model which they think is the best for the region.

According to the proposed model, which is yet to be approved by the member states, the federation will be led by an elected president with a cabinet. The draft identifies seven areas which will be the focus of the federal government including immigration and defense.

“Is there a candidate yet? The answer is no. We are having discussions on a transition arrangement and other key issues for the political integration,” Sezibera said.

He made the remarks while addressing New Vision editors at the company headquarters in Kampala on Friday.

He was accompanied by several officials from the EAC secretariat including the head of corporate communications and public affairs, Richard Owora.

Received at the Vision Group offices by managing director Robert Kabushenga, the team toured the newsroom and company factory before meeting editors.

According to Ssezibera, the draft model suggests a regional parliament with two chambers. The proposed chambers include a senate with equal representation from all countries and an elected chamber which will have legislative powers.

The composition of the legislative assembly, said Ssezibera, would depend on the population size of each member state.

The model also suggests the East African Court of Justice to be the federal state’s Supreme Court with presence in each member state. The court however, will deal with federal matters only.

The political federation is the final stage of integration stipulated in the treaty that established the EAC the first three stages being the customs union, common market, and monetary union.

The first three stages have already been accented to and are being implemented.

A plan by Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda to fast track the political federation last year hit a dead end after causing suspicions with Tanzania and Burundi complaining of being sidelined.

The three countries had appointed Uganda's internal affairs' minister, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima to chair a committee that would later appoint draftsmen for the federal constitution.

The issue threatened the continuity of the integration when coalitions of the “willing" and “unwilling” member states emerged. But the EAC disputed the coalitions as imaginary.

Ssezibera on Friday said it was a mistake for the three countries to consult on political the federation before the issue had been discussed at an inclusive regional level.

“What the three countries had started with (discussing building infrastructure and free movement of labour) is allowed under the treaty and it was not new,” he said.

“The problem is that when people meet they may consult on various issues. So they ended up consulting on issues like the political federation, a level we had not yet reached.”

Ssezibera said the federal constitution will not be drafted until consultations are completed to consolidate each member’s proposals.

Kabushenga implored the EAC secretariat to consider developing an open sky policy in the region to reduce the cost of air travel.

He also asked the secretary general to organise meetings with media personalities in each of the partner states especially during special occasions like EALA sittings.

According to Kabushenga, the move will enhance visibility of EAC affairs and help in the integration process.