The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Margaret Nantongo Zziwa, has said the East African Community (EAC) is at an important period in the integration dispensation. 

Speaking at a media briefing during the opening of the second meeting of the third Assembly at Parliament Buildings yesterday, Zziwa said partner states are committed to strengthening the integration process by implementing the provisions of the protocols.

She cited the Customs Union, saying it has attained its full implementation and that several phases were at an advanced stage, adding that the protocol guarantees that goods produced in the region enjoy zero taxes but benefit from uniform external benefits, procedures and documentation.

The Single Customs Territory regime, which is now operationalised, she said, is good progress for the EAC since it will enable the faster movement of goods.

The Speaker, however, warned that members of the regional parliament who choose to boycott the sittings as they have been threatening will not be failing the Speaker but their member states.

Zziwa said EALA, like other institutions, was not an exception to dissent and disagreements.

She said she was confident that members would turn up for the sessions and that some had informed her office that they would not make it.

"In case we sit for the House business and some members fail to show up or boycott sittings, they will not be failing the Speaker but their member states that elected them,” Zziwa said.

"They all stood before their respective parliaments and pledged to work in promotion of the East African affairs, so boycotting the sittings will be letting their constituency down.”

Zziwa said in the event some members fail to show up, the House will be guided by rules of procedure that decide on the appropriate quorum.

Quorum procedure

According to the rules of procedure, the quorum of the House will be half of the elected members.

In the event that they do not meet the required minimum, one of the members can raise the point that that the numbers do not meet the required quorum, the Speaker then ascertains whether or not there is a quorum through a roll call.

If the number of members present does not meet the quorum, the sitting is adjourned by the Speaker.EALA has 52 members, of whom 45 are directly elected (nine from each partner state) and seven ex-Officio members.

The sessions, set to run until October 30, are being held in Kigali for the second time as part of pursuit of the principle of rotation as per provisions of Article 55 of the treaty establishing the regional parliament.

Donatilee Mukabalisa, the Speaker of the Chambers of Deputies, is tomorrow expected to address the Assembly during the official opening session.

Over the next two weeks, the Assembly is expected to debate the second and third reading of the EAC Cooperatives Bill, as well as receive and consider reports from various committees.

The committees to present their reports for consideration are, regional affairs and conflict resolution, and the Legal rules and privileges committee.

Others are the report of by the communications, trade and investment committee.

Speaker Zziwa said the Assembly had made commendable progress such as the attainment of the customs union, where goods produced in the region enjoy zero taxes, and creation of a single customs territory through the establishment of one-stop border posts.

She said the Assembly continues to battle with challenges, including the slow uptake of the agenda.

Members of the Assembly said all member states were committed to the integration agenda, refuting claims that the integration process was "a coalition of the willing.”

MP Kessy Nderakindo (Tanzania) explained that the treaty of the establishment of the Community allows for differential integration where subgroups were allowed to take on joint development initiatives.

Her remarks were echoed by MP Hafsa Mossi of Burundi, who said her country was committed to the integration process and was involved in projects in the Northern and Central corridors of the region.

Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda have, over the past one year, pursued several tripartite projects, dubbed "Northern Corridor Integration Projects, leaving out Burundi and Tanzania which have been accused of moving slow on integration matters.

The plenary will be followed by the 8th inter-parliamentary relations seminar under the theme, "Insecurity and terrorism as threats to EAC integration: How can EAC develop a common position?”

The seminar, beginning October 31 to November 2, will bring together parliamentarians from partner states and members of EALA.