AU parliament to appraise nations on freedoms

By Henry Mukasa

Nations on the continent that subscribe to the African Union must respect freedom of expression and of the press, as a sacred tenet of good governance, the Pan African Parliament (PAP), has said.

Consequently, the continental body through its Justice and Human Rights committee has embarked on an appraisal of AU member countries to evaluate their compliance to commitments for sustenance of human dignity and name which violate freedoms and rights.

The PAP chairperson of the committee on Justice and Human Rights, Onyango Kakoba told journalists at Parliament that the campaign is hinged on the universal declaration of human rights and on the protocol for the establishment of the continent's premier Parliament.

In the protocol, one of the protocol for the South Africa based Parliament  is to promote principles of human rights and democracy; encourage good governance, transparency and accountability among member states.

"We realize that there is no way you can achieve these objectives without freedom of expression. Citizens are supposed to give their views on how they should be governed, demand for accountability and transparency," Kakoba stated.

"Short of that (freedom) we shall have what happened in the North Africa Spring: When you muzzle people they explode. And you cannot succeed now with social media," he added.

Kakoba, who is also the Buikwe North MP, said while African countries are signatories to several international and continental instruments, their leaders act to the contrary.

He listed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa and the UNESCO Windhoek Declaration on promoting and independent and pluralistic media.

"Our role as PAP is to offer the oversight role… that nations implement what they commit themselves to," Kakoba pointed out.

Across the continent, the profession of journalism has been under attack with killing, harassment and jailing of journalists under repressive and obnoxious, obsolete laws being recorded.  Since the year began, nine journalists have been killed; eight in Somalia and one in Nigeria.

Kakoba also made case for a profession journalists' body in Uganda for self-regulation just like doctors (medical council) and lawyers (law council) have. The legislator observed that the continued existence of colonial laws like sedition doesn't serve to promote freedom of expression.

"Self-regulation should be encouraged like in other professions. In many countries government determine who should be a journalist and impose restrictive laws. This is what we want to change," the PAP committee boss noted.

The PAP will, using agreed modules, index and a data bank give an annual award to nations and journalists who excel in the promotion and protection of freedom of expression.