Members of the East African Legislative Assembly yesterday passed a resolution to suspend the Speaker, Margaret Zziwa, for 21 days pending investigations into her conduct. The resolution was reached during a special sitting presided over by Uganda’s Chris Opoka-Okumu, which also saw the committee on legal affairs called upon to handle the investigations, according to a statement issued yesterday afternoon. The section of the assembly that sponsored the motion consisted of 32 of the 44 members, which is more than the required two-thirds. The MPs removed the Speaker after they petitioned the Clerk of the Assembly Kenneth Madete urging him to convene the special meeting. “The Assembly further resolved to suspend/bar Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa from exercising the functions of Office of the Speaker pending the finalisation of the investigations into the motion for her removal,” said the statement. The motion was moved by MP Abdullah Mwinyi. On June 4 this year, Zziwa ruled that the motion for her removal had fallen short of the requirements of signatures of at least four elected Members from each Partner State and thus collapsed. This followed the withdrawal of signatures of three Members from the United Republic of Tanzania. Zziwa pegged her ruling on Rule 82(2) of Rules of Procedure that grants the Speaker of the Assembly, the final powers on the interpretation and the application of the same. However, prior to that, the Counsel to the Community, Wilbert Kaahwa had maintained that the motion was “alive”. The motion, initially introduced in the Assembly by Kenyan MP Peter Mathuki in Arusha during the Fifth Meeting of the Second Session of the 3rd Assembly was cut-short when it was adjourned on April 1, 2014 sine die following two applications made at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) halting the debate. The motion among other things accuses Zziwa of abuse of office and disrespect to Members. Pursuant to the provisions of Article 53 (3) of the EAC Treaty and Rule 9 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, Members may with a two-thirds majority pass a Resolution to remove the Speaker from office. Speaking during a media briefing before the regional assembly began its sittings in Nairobi, Speaker Zziwa said there was a syndicate by some members to frustrate her. MP Abdul Karim Harelimana of Rwanda, speaking to this paper last evening, said the Speaker had not shown the will to step down. “There’s no need for the Summit (Organ of the Head of States) to discuss this issue because of the principal of separation of powers. The impeachment process has started by resumption of the pending motion on removal of the Speaker, by declaring that she won’t chair a meeting which is discussing her issues, he said. “The committee [on legal rules and privileges] has been given 21 days but they can finish even before to report their findings to the House. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
