Kadaga in London, asks for development support

Kadaga speaking at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in London, UK

DEVELOPMENT | MIGRATION

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has urged European nations to push for democratic reforms in Africa, which will lead to economic progress and development.

Kadaga said with economic progress, Africans will stay in their countries, instead of crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe to seek for employment and better lives.

She was speaking at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) on Tuesday in London.

Kadaga noted that good political environments translate into development, leading to economic opportunities for citizens and better standards of.

The Speaker spoke as a panelist on the topic: "Prosperity and Stability: Why Only Democracy Can Deliver".

"It is in the interest of the UK and its allies in the European Union to ensure that the economic conditions in Africa are such as would allow the African people to remain in their countries," she explained.

She called on Europe to provide substantial investments in Africa to create employment. Over 2,400 people died between January and August 2017 while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Five thousand migrants from different countries of Africa died in 2016.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN migration agency, 118,227 migrants have so far entered Europe by sea, with almost 83% arriving in Italy and the remainder going to Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

 The speaker cautioned that respect for human rights by itself does not necessarily guarantee economic success.

 "It is apparent that economic liberalisation promoted, perhaps unwittingly, a transfer of power from the politician to the markets and businesses and in the end economic liberalisation completes political liberalization. So, democracy and economy are interlinked," she noted.

The Westminster Foundation for Democracy is a UK non-departmental public body set up to promote democratic institutions overseas. It was established in March 1992 and works to bring sustainable political change in emerging democracies. Parliament of Uganda receives support from WFD through the Institute of Parliamentary Studies (IPS).