ECOWAS PARLIAMENT TO BE ELECTED DIRECTLY (PAGE 14, MAY 10, 2010)

REPRESENTATIVES of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament will be elected by direct universal adult suffrage by the end of 2010 as part of measures to make the parliament effective in the sub-region.
Whereas before and now, this privilege was bestowed only on elected national parliamentarians, by the end of the year, citizens of the community other than Parliamentarians of national parliaments shall be eligible to contest to become members of the Community Parliament.
It is envisaged that a directly elected parliament will play a more prominent role in the integration process beyond the present role of providing advice to the heads of state, the council of ministers and other community institutions.
It is also expected that the parliament’s role in the integration process will initially begin with co-decision, before it transforms into direct law making.
The reforms are aimed at giving concrete and actual legislative powers to the ECOWAS Parliament and make it relevant and purposeful as well as improving its public image and the quality of democracy within the sub-region.
The Leader of Ghana’s Representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament and Minister of Information, Mr John Tia Akologo, announced this at a press conference in Takoradi.
The press conference was to highlight activities of the ECOWAS Parliament and steps being taken to broaden grassroots participation in the selection process of future parliamentarians who will serve on the ECOWAS Parliament.
Mr Akologo said in pursuit of the above objective, the Community Parliament charged the adhoc committee on the Election of Members through Direct Universal Adult Suffrage and the Enhancement of Powers of Parliament to draw up a framework, identifying challenges and also propose solutions to the holding of direct elections of Parliamentarians by the end of the year.
He said the sub-committee in its report which was adopted by the Community Parliament decided to adopt the practice and electoral laws applicable in the respective member states as the mode of election for the Community.
“The electoral bodies of respective countries would be responsible for the delineation of national constituencies on the basis of national exigencies, having due regard to 30 per cent gender balance for an eligible place”, he explained.
Mr Akologo further explained that the decision was premised on considerations such as the prohibitive cost of establishing a new form of electoral roll and the 2010 time frame, adding “The authority of heads of states and governments of ECOWAS Parliament was expected to consider and approve the report at its meeting last January. Each member state would be a constituency and maintain the number of seats allocated to it”.
He said a well defined structure that would ensure free and fair elections would be made available in due course, adding that for now, it was important to let the good people of Ghana know the new course that the ECOWAS Parliament would be charting this year.
“A process that is fairer, more open and transparent and more likely to promote participation and choice from grassroots will be instituted”, he stated.
“A final decision on the adoption of the universal adult suffrage would be made soon, l believe at the plenary session of the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in May this year”, he said.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Busumtwi-Sam, said it was a good idea that ECOWAS member states were to participate fully in the activities of the ECOWAS Parliament.
This, she said would promote democracy, accountability and transparency, since the people would now be involved in the elections of their own representatives.
Present at the press conference were some of Ghana’s representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament, including Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, MP for Bosomtwe, Mr Michael Nyaunu, MP Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Kwaku Balado Manu, MP Ahafo Ano South, Mr Francis Yaw Osei-Sarfo, MP Krachi West and Ms Elizabeth Sackey, MP Okaikoi North.
The ECOWAS Parliament or Community Parliament was formed in 2000 and has its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
Presently as constituted, the ECOWAS Parliament is an assemblage of members of Parliament from the 15 ECOWAS member states and serves as a forum for discussion, dialogue and consensus.
It has 120 seats as per the protocol that establishes it. However, at present its membership is 108 as a result of the withdrawal of Mauritania, which has five seats from the community and the inability of La Cote D’voire which has seven seats to assume its seat.
Each member has a guaranteed minimum of five seats and the remaining seats are shared on the basis of population.
Nigeria has 35 seats; Ghana has eight seats, Cote D’voire seven seats and Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal have six seats each, while Benin, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo have five seats each.
The parliament is headed by a Speaker and four deputy speakers and the position of the Speaker is allocated to member states on a rotational basis.
At the moment, the Republic of Niger holds the position. The current Parliament is transitional and its role is advisory and consultative, which means that it does not as of now have legislative powers since its members are not directly elected.
Representatives are elected by their national Parliament to the Community Parliament.