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East Africa: Assembly Pushes for Role in Solving Crises
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The Nation (Nairobi)
13 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Odhiambo Orlale
Nairobi
The East African Community will be strengthened to actively deal with political crises in the five member states.
The inability by the organisation to intervene when Kenya, Uganda and Burundi faced political problems threatening regional security was due to its weak structures, the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Mr Abdulrahim Abdi, said.
Mr Abdi told the media at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on Monday: "As Eala we would like to see the EAC treaty formalised so that we could intervene in Northern Uganda, Burundi and Kenya."
He said the assembly would continue to focus on the region's growth and efforts to unite East Africans.
Legislative
He recalled that in addition to its legislative role, the assembly had a representative and oversight work.
This was why they sent a team to observe the Kenyan General Election last December as well as in Zimbabwe.
Mr Abdi was accompanied by three assistant ministers from Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi, and 36 Eala members, a day before the beginning of their sitting in Nairobi.
The three were Mr Peter Munya (Kenya), Mr Mohammed Abiud (Tanzania) and Mr Deogratias Ndugwimana (Burundi). National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende will this afternoon address the opening of the Eala sessions at Old Parliament.
Earlier, Mr Abdi, who is one of the nine Kenyan nominees to the Arusha-based assembly lamented that the post-election mayhem had pushed Kenya to the brink.
He noted that the they were also concerned by rebels who have waged a decades-old war in northern Uganda and in Burundi.
Enthusiastic
Mr Munya, East African Community assistant minister, denied media reports that Tanzania was not enthusiastic about the East African federation.
Contrary to such claims, the assistant minister said, Tanzania and Kenya were fully involved and supportive to union, the final stage in the East African Community treaty.
Others include creation of a regional customs and monetary union.
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He said the regional Heads of State would meet next month to deliberate further on the union.
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