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| EAC Deputy Secretary General Hon. Beatrice Kiraso |
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha:
There are 158 registered political parties in East Africa and they have a crucial role to play in the process of political integration, says EAC Deputy Secretary General Hon. Beatrice Kiraso
The EAC Secretariat has convened a two-day forum of all registered political parties from the Partner States due next week in Nairobi, Kenya.
The 15-16 September forum follows a recommendation to create a regional platform to bring political parties together to identify with each other beyond national borders, made in 2008 during national sensitization workshops of political parties on the ongoing EAC integration process.
The forum would also provide an opportunity to the political parties to examine their manifestos, establish areas of convergence and propose ways of how they will advance in preparation for participation in the regional political processes.
This would allow them to discuss issues related to registration, internal party democracy, to what extent political parties address regional issues as well as how they can work together to promote democracy, peace and stability.
"National political parties have a critical role in popularizing the EAC, especially the importance of deepening economic and political integration," says EAC Deputy Secretary General (in charge of Political Federation) Hon. Beatrice Kiraso.
"There are 158 national political parties in the EAC Partner States, thus there is a need to discuss mechanisms of forming regional political parties as the integration now moves towards the ultimate goal of a Political Federation," Hon. Kiraso added.
Hon. Kiraso stated that the EAC's political federation was a process, expected to go through vigorous discussions and debates with various stakeholders, including politicians, academicians, legislators, civil society organizations and private sector.
"The EAC Political Federation cannot be a one-off event; it should be a thorough process and must be embraced by the people of East Africa," she said.
The Nairobi forum is expected to be attended by over 250 delegates representing political parties, National Parliaments, Registrars of Political Parties, National Election Management Bodies, National Human Rights Commissions, Academia, Media, Internal Security/Law Enforcement and the EAC Ministries, among others.
Discussions will focus on political party forms and structural foundations; the role of political parties in the integration; and the role of political parties in mitigating election violence.
The recommendations of the forum will be presented to the EAC Council of Ministers in November this year.
In recent years, several activities have been undertaken by the EAC to support the political integration of the region. Such instruments include the Protocol on Foreign Policy Co-ordination, development of a Protocol on Good Governance and Protocols on Defence and Security matters are all aimed at converging policies and practices to the agreed EAC standards.
There are 158 registered political parties in East Africa and they have a crucial role to play in the process of political integration, says EAC Deputy Secretary General Hon. Beatrice Kiraso
The EAC Secretariat has convened a two-day forum of all registered political parties from the Partner States due next week in Nairobi, Kenya.
The 15-16 September forum follows a recommendation to create a regional platform to bring political parties together to identify with each other beyond national borders, made in 2008 during national sensitization workshops of political parties on the ongoing EAC integration process.
The forum would also provide an opportunity to the political parties to examine their manifestos, establish areas of convergence and propose ways of how they will advance in preparation for participation in the regional political processes.
This would allow them to discuss issues related to registration, internal party democracy, to what extent political parties address regional issues as well as how they can work together to promote democracy, peace and stability.
"National political parties have a critical role in popularizing the EAC, especially the importance of deepening economic and political integration," says EAC Deputy Secretary General (in charge of Political Federation) Hon. Beatrice Kiraso.
"There are 158 national political parties in the EAC Partner States, thus there is a need to discuss mechanisms of forming regional political parties as the integration now moves towards the ultimate goal of a Political Federation," Hon. Kiraso added.
Hon. Kiraso stated that the EAC's political federation was a process, expected to go through vigorous discussions and debates with various stakeholders, including politicians, academicians, legislators, civil society organizations and private sector.
"The EAC Political Federation cannot be a one-off event; it should be a thorough process and must be embraced by the people of East Africa," she said.
The Nairobi forum is expected to be attended by over 250 delegates representing political parties, National Parliaments, Registrars of Political Parties, National Election Management Bodies, National Human Rights Commissions, Academia, Media, Internal Security/Law Enforcement and the EAC Ministries, among others.
Discussions will focus on political party forms and structural foundations; the role of political parties in the integration; and the role of political parties in mitigating election violence.
The recommendations of the forum will be presented to the EAC Council of Ministers in November this year.
In recent years, several activities have been undertaken by the EAC to support the political integration of the region. Such instruments include the Protocol on Foreign Policy Co-ordination, development of a Protocol on Good Governance and Protocols on Defence and Security matters are all aimed at converging policies and practices to the agreed EAC standards.
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