EAC Assembly Launched

PRESIDENTS Yoweri Museveni, Daniel arap Moi and Benjamin Mkapa yesterday inaugurated the East African Legislative Assembly and the Court of Justice at a colourful ceremony at Shiekh Amri Abeid Stadium, Arusha Tanzania, reports Felix Osike. The function was attended by thousands of East Africans and European Union ambassadors. The three presidents entered and left the stadium in one minibus to symbolise unity. Several ministers and other high ranking government officials from the three countries were also driven in minibuses to and from the stadium. The security was lax and camera’s were allowed at close range. The launching of the two organs completes the process of establishing the main organs of the community. The Assembly became operational on November 29 with the election of Col. Abdulrahman Kinana, a Tanzanian, as Speaker and swearing in of all the 32 members. The temporary seats of the two bodies will be in Arusha International Conference Centre. In yesterday’s ceremony, Kenya’s nominee to the EA Court, Justice Moijo Keiwua, was sworn in while Justice Joseph Mulenga was named the vice-president. Other judges sworn in were Lady Justice Solomy Bossa, Justices Augustine Ramadhan and Joseph Warioba of Tanzania and Jackson Kasanga Mulwa of Kenya. Cultural groups from the three countries including Ndere Troupe from Uganda thrilled the crowd. Museveni said the most important aspect of the EAC was not the natural resources of individual countries but the production of wealth and accessing of market for the 85 million people of the three countries. He said if Rwanda and Burundi joined the community, there would be market for 100,000 people. “The East African Community unites our voices so that we speak one language,” he said. He said it would be easier to market EA as a region than individual countries. “The opening of the assembly is a step in the right direction,” Museveni said. In a joint communiqué, the presidents stressed that the EALA and the Court of Justice were significant to the orientation of the community on the principles of democracy, good governance and law. MPs Aggrey Awori, Cecilia Ogwal, Ben Wacha, Zachary Olum and Reagan Okumu attended Moi urged leaders to learn from the past and “avoid pitfalls that led to the collapse of the East African Community.” Mkapa said he believed that the three east Africa nations were taking the regional court and parliament seriously and regarded the institutions as vehicles for their common development. Ends