Tamale, May 1, Ghanadot/GNA- A new
ECOWAS Parliament to be selected by Universal adult suffrage
with representation from member states is to be established by
the end of 2010.
Mr. John Tia, leader of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS
Parliament and Deputy Majority Leader announced this in Tamale
on Thursday at a press conference to sensitise the public on the
activities of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Other members of the ECOWAS Parliament who addressed the press
conference were: Mr. Asante Amoako-Atta, Clerk of the ECOWAS
team and Stephen Balado Manu MP for Ahafo-Annor North.
Mr. Tia explained that the present ECOWAS Parliament which is in
transition acted only in an advisory capacity without
legislative powers and its members were not directly elected.
He said it was only empowered to consider issues concerning
human rights and the fundamental freedoms of citizens and also
consulting on matters relating to public health policies for the
community, common educational policy through harmonization of
existing systems.
He said unlike the current parliament where representatives were
elected by the National Parliaments to the Community Parliament,
this time round each member state would be a constituency and
maintain a minimum number of seats allocated to each country.
The electoral bodies of the respective countries Mr. Tia said,
would be “responsible for the delineation of national
constituencies on the basis of national exigencies and having
due regard to 30 percent gender balance in an eligible place”.
Under the reforms, citizens of the community other than
parliamentarians of National Parliaments would be eligible to
contest to become members of the Community Parliament.
The reforms, he said, were aimed at giving concrete and actual
legislative powers to the ECOWAS Parliament and making it
relevant and purposeful as well as improving its public image
and the quality of democracy within the Sub-region.
Mr. Tia announced that a well-defined structure that would
ensure free and fair elections and make the process more open
and as well as promote grassroots participation would be
announced to the Ghanaian public.
GNA
