Committee to investigate fights within EALA
Nov 10, 2014
The Speaker of the regional parliament says she is to set up an investigation to establish the cause of ongoing wrangles within EALA.
By Raymond Baguma
KAMPALA - The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Margaret Nantongo Zziwa has revealed that she is to set up an investigations committee to establish the cause of ongoing wrangles within the legislative organ of the region.
She addressed reporters at Serena conference centre during which she also took a swipe at members of the legislative assembly who are planting seeds of discontent within the assembly.
“I took measures to investigate those members. We are proceeding within the treaty of investigate. A committee of eminent persons is going to look into the source of disagreement.”
The investigation follows disagreements that have been going on within EALA which led to a move to have Speaker Zziwa censured.
However, the censure move later flopped.
During the press conference, Zziwa was accompanied by her lawyers Jet Mwebaze and Fred Mukasa Mbidde who (the latter) is also a member of the EALA.
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Speaker Margaret Zziwa addressing the regional assembly in Kigali, Rwanda in 2013
Speaker Margaret Zziwa addressing the regional assembly in Kigali, Rwanda in 2013
“As the Speaker I say that we must find the cause of the disagreement of some members. Some of them are using methods of go-slow; others sit-down and others are abandoning their work. This is irresponsible and they are cheating East Africans,” she said.
She added that she was in touch with the heads-of-state of the East African Community (EAC) member states because the ongoing disagreements threaten the existence of the regional bloc.
“As EALA, we are duty-bound to serve East Africans, to legislate and pass legislations and do our oversight role as enshrined within the treaty,” said Zziwa.
“When we were elected to EALA, we were supposed to support the integration process as a mandate, and to improve the welfare of the people of East Africa.
“The seat I am occupying as Speaker is because I am Ugandan and we have to work with the other partner states to push for the integration process.”
Last week, an EALA session in Kigali adjourned owing to lack of quorum after some members walked out of a motion demanding that the House addresses an issue of misconduct by some members during a recent trip to Brussels, the capital of Belgium.