A transformed Pan African Parliament with legislative functions will be better positioned to tackle hindrances to development on the continent, the Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Stephen Baka Mugabi has said.
Hon. Mugabi (NRM, Bukooli North) who was speaking at a regional parliamentarians meeting in Addis Ababa, Wednesday, said the Pan African Parliament will be able to address issues of democracy, equity, justice and human rights.
“It is the right step to grant PAP legislative powers. This will contribute to helping Africa rise from its current predicament,” said Hon. Mugabi.
The ‘Regional Parliamentary Meeting on Promotion, Ratification and Domestication of African Union Legal Instruments for the East African Region’ is being held at the Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa from 19th to 21st Novermber 2014.
The African Union Heads of State Meeting held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in June 2014 approved a Draft Protocol providing the Pan African Parliament with a renewed mandate including powers to make draft model laws. The Protocol now requires ratification of at least 28 AU Member States before it can fully come into force.
Other Uganda’s representatives to the Meeting are Hon. Onyango Kakoba (NRM, Buikwe North), Hon. Beatrice Barumba (NRM, Kiruhura district), Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora district) and Hon. Abdi Chemaswet (NRM, Kween).
Hon. Mugabi however wondered what relationship there would be between the Pan African Parliament, regional and national parliaments considering that countries with bicameral parliaments fail to properly distinguish their roles.
“How shall we avoid conflicts [among PAP, regional and national parliaments] and have complementality?” he asked.
Hon. Jacqueline Amongin said having PAP representatives not being members of national parliaments would ensure that continental legislators concentrate on issues at the continental level.
“One won’t be overwhelmed by issues both at local and continental level. It will therefore, give PAP representatives time to concentrate on continental issues,” said Hon. Amongin.
Hon. Onyango Kakoba appealed to members in national parliaments to support the ratification process of the ratified protocol before its implementation can commence.
Mr. Adewale Iyanda, a Legal Officer at the AU, said PAP representatives not being members of national parliaments was a step towards achieving the ideal universal adult suffrage for their elections.
He said before the Draft Protocol comes into force, national parliaments would have to work out a working and reporting mechanism to avoid conflict. He said this would be necessary considering that the Protocol provides that PAP representatives would be paid by their national parliaments