Experts suggest models for EAC political union

By Luke Anami

NAIROBI; KENYA: East African Community (EAC) will consider a number of models to adopt for the proposed EAC Political Federation, EAC Council of Ministers Chairman Musa Sirma has said.

“When the EAC Heads of State received a report on the “Fears, Concerns and Challenges of the East African Federation,” they directed that a team of experts come up with a model structure on what the EAC political Federation will take,” Mr Sirma said during a media breakfast held on Monday at a Nairobi hotel.

However, Sirma said the biggest concern was that no partner state wants to cede sovereignty. “So, a number of models have been studied including the European Union model where community laws enjoy supremacy over national laws,” Sirma said.

He said the EU model, which has the European Commission as the civil service of the EU, European Parliament whose laws are superior to those of the national governments, and a court that has jurisdiction over the rest of the members has been suggested among other models.

“As you can see, we already have the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) which makes laws for the five countries just like in the EU. If we can accept EALA laws, then have an East African Court of Justice and put the Monetary Union in place, we will have succeeded,” Sirma said.

No clarity

Many citizens are unaware what the political federation will look like. Concern was raised that there is no clarity on what model of federation East Africa wants to adopt.

The Treaty establishing the EAC indicates political federation is the ultimate objective of the community, but does not specify the nature of the federation.

“The report will be presented to the Heads of States who will guide the process,” Sirma explained.

A team of experts’ retreat convened in Mwanza in October considered the Zero Draft Model of the Structure and Plan of Action of the Political Federation developed by the Secretariat in line with the Directive of the 10th Extraordinary Summit held in April.

In considering the Zero Draft, the Senior Experts who included former Attorney General Amos Wako, former EAC Secretary General Juma Mwapachu and other experts from all the five countries, agreed that while borrowing from other models, the EAC Model should be tailored in a way that answers to the EAC context as well as the identified Fears, Challenges and Concerns.

Simple model

On the Federal Presidency, the experts recommended providing for a transitional period during which the Presidency will be assumed rotationally on annual basis.

“The Model should be simple enough to be articulated by both the ordinary citizens of East Africa and the Heads of State,” Dr Julius Rotich, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of political Federation said.

The Experts noted that during the negotiations of the Federal Constitution, attention should be given to address fears within  competences of the Federal and Constituent States.