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Educate East Africans on political federation
2006-07-20 09:05:01
By Editor
East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers, on Tuesday, endorsed a time-frame for launching and conducting the National Consultative Process for fast tracking the EAC’s political federation.
In essence, the actualisation of EAC political federation appears to be in the last stage.
As EAC braces for fast tracking of the federation, it is important that citizens of the three partner states are critically consulted on the process.
When EAC held its last summit in Arusha, President Jakaya Kikwete threw caution on the process. He was categorical on the need for leaders to tread carefully saying a political federation for the EAC ought to be people-driven and owned if it is to succeed.
The president was basically calling for a halt on the process to give room for consultations in respective member countries to collate and collect the views of citizens. Unlike an economic regional bloc, a political federation has far too much ramifications that directly impact on the people.
It is indeed worth appreciating that EAC Council of Ministers has agreed to launch the national consultative process simultaneously in all the partner states on September 15, this year.
According to EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, the Heads of State will officiate at the launch of the national consultative process in the respective partner states.
Though we are not sceptical, history provides sufficient grounds for an informed view that extreme caution, wide consultation and selfless intriguers ought to be the cardinal guiding tenets as we tread towards a regional political federation.
However, the roadmap agreed upon by the ministers is no doubt a milestone in the EAC regional integration process as it will, hopefully, guide the national consultative process to a logical conclusion.
We indeed, acknowledge the benefits of a political federation as experienced elsewhere in the world.
What remains pertinent, and that which could destine the federation to success or oblivion is the nature of the federation envisaged.
More important is the need for politicians or the leadership class not to interfere and influence the opinion of the masses on the federation for their own sectional interests.
It is apparent that there are high stakes in the entire process, but for posterity, the citizenry should be allowed to give their honest views about the prospective political federation.
And for this, we need impartial national consultative committees to coordinate the respective national consultations. The membership of the committees should be a representation of the society in entirety.
We think that the committees should conduct business through mass media, public meetings, consultations, brainstorming sessions and any other mode deemed transparent in order to reach as many people as practically possible.
During the consultation it is crucial that people freely delve on benefits so far attained by EAC integration process, benefits or expectations of the envisaged political federation, fears or concerns of the political federation and possible solutions and the structure of the federation, if they approve of it.
We agree that the process is difficult, but sobriety must prevail during the fast tracking process towards a political federation and the media ought to take its rightful role of educating the public about the process.
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