Says elected Parliament will be non-political, focus on integration
Accra, Ghana – The Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament on charting a path for the election of Members of Parliament, Hon. Billay G. Tunkara, has allayed fears that elected MPs would bully and flex muscles against the ECOWAS Commission and the Authority of Heads of State and Government, as happens in some member states.
According to him, an elected ECOWAS Parliament will be non-political and will promote the trade integration envisaged by ECOWAS’s founding fathers.
In an interview on the sidelines of the Second Extraordinary Session of the Parliament in Accra, Ghana, the Fourth Deputy Speaker noted that the elected Parliament will deal with social issues, the welfare of Community citizens and the promotion of various cultures in the sub-region.
“So it will not be more of a political issue; rather, we will promote the things that formed the foundation of ECOWAS. We are going to leverage that,” he said.
The Majority Leader and leader of the Gambian delegation to the Community Parliament further noted at the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee in Accra that the ECOWAS Court of Justice was primarily an arbiter in trade disputes among member states.
“But with time, they looked inward, reviewed things and now gave it quasi-judicial powers that allow it to hear human rights violations,” he said.
“The court now hears human rights violation cases and is playing the role of national courts, but all of these are catered for in our member states’ judicial systems. The ECOWAS Court should not entertain human rights violations; it should focus on integration. If there is a trade dispute, the role is to go there and settle it.”
Mr. Tunkara further added that they will tailor their mandate to why ECOWAS was established. The Parliament will work on legislative laws, promote agenda advocacy and explore how to promote peaceful co-existence among member states.
Chairman Billay Tunkara also noted that they will review the Supplementary Act of the Parliament and examine some powers that have not been utilized.
He said they are working to ensure the direct elections of MPs serve their purpose, because the Parliament is already struggling with quorum due to the duality of members serving in their national parliaments as principal office holders and in the ECOWAS Parliament.
“This creates a lot of inconvenience. We need to ensure there is commitment. Every change comes with sacrifices. The same people promoting the elections of MPs might not be the same people to occupy the next Seventh ECOWAS Parliament. If you decide to be in the Gambian Parliament, I should be there and allow those who want to serve in the Community Parliament to be there to serve the interest of ECOWAS citizens.”
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/EcowasNewsOnline.com
