AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS the world is consolidating in the fight to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has resolved to hold its Fourth Meeting of the Third Session in a different format.
It will be the first time in its history that the Assembly’s sitting is held virtually in the EAC partner states.
EALA has taken the approach in line with measures in partner states to commit in containing the Covid-19 pandemic.
EALA Senior Public Relations Officer, Mr Bob Odiko, said that at its meeting on April 20th, 2020, the virtual EALA Commission meeting chaired by the EALA Speaker, Mr Martin Ngoga, noted with concern the alarming rate at which Covid-19 pandemic is spreading globally and in the region, as well as the attendant impact on humanity.
“The Commission thus resolved to continue with its planned activities through video conferencing in Arusha and the EAC partner states.
A number of parliaments in the region and elsewhere in the world have also re-looked at the modus operandi of undertaking legislative, representative and oversight mandate following the advent of the pandemic,” said Mr Odiko.
A number of key reports top the agenda of the 3-week virtual meeting, to be presided over by Speaker Ngoga.
The Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution is to consider the report on the EAC Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bill, before it is presented at the virtual plenary anticipated for May 7th.
Other key reports to be tabled during the period are that of the Committee on Accounts on Capacity Building Workshop and the Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on the On-Spot Assessment of activities of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC).
The Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on the Oversight activity on Climate Change, that of the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment on One Net Work Area (ONA) and the Report on Accounts Committee on oversight of EAC Institutions in Uganda are also on the cards.
A number of questions and motions as is customary in parliamentary business are also expected.
This week, the six Committees of the House will convene virtually in the respective EAC capitals to consider their various reports, prior to presenting, tabling and subsequent debates at plenary.
This morning, the EALA Commission held its statutory meeting to consider and approve the activities of the Assembly for the month of May 2020.
In the afternoon, the Committee on Legal Rules and Privileges met to consider its report on the approximation and harmonisation of national laws in the EAC context.
