Members of the East African Legislative Assembly after a press conference

By Jude Kafuuma

MPS from the East African Community (EAC) convening in Kampala this week are set to discuss the EAC Election Bill 2008.

The Bill aims at establishing one EAC Electoral Commission that will organise elections of the members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
It will also regulate parliamentary and presidential general elections in the five member states of the East African Community.

One electoral commission will conduct elections in all the five partner states and put in place a procedure on how electoral commissioners will be appointed.

“Once passed by the assembly and fully established, the EAC Election Bill 2008 will replace all existing national electoral commissions in the five member states,” explained MP Wandera Ogalo.

“The powers to organise general elections will be under the EAC Electoral Commission.”

The East African assembly, opened officially today by President Yoweri Museveni, will also debate the EAC Tourism Bill 2008, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission Bill 2007 and consider various committee reports.

The EALA has a total of 52 MPs; nine members elected from each partner state, five ministers for EAC affairs, the secretary general and a counsel.

According to EALA speaker, Abdirahin Abdi, the laws to be passed during the Kampala assembly will be binding to all partner states.

“All laws enacted by the assembly have full force of law and take precedence over similar laws in the partner states,” he said.