MANY a times Ghana is quick to pen her signature to international, regional and local treaties as well as being among the first countries to join organisations such as the United Nations (UN), Africa Union (AU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and many others.
One of such regional organisations within sub-Sahara Africa that Ghana has ascribed to is the ECOWAS Parliament which is sometimes referred to as the Community Parliament (CP). It was established in 2000 under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS revised treaty of 1993 with its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
However, protocol relating to the parliament was signed in Abuja on August 6, 1994 and came into being, March 14, 2002.
The CP is a forum for dialogue, consultation and consensus for representatives of the people of West Africa with the aim of promoting integration.
The Community Parliament is divided into two wings—Political and Administrative. But it has three departments namely Plenary, Bureau of Parliament and the Conference of Bureau.
This is the highest body of the parliament which decisions are binding on other structures. As an advisory parliament, the Plenary adopts all resolutions of parliament which are forwarded to the decision-making bodies of the Community Parliament.
This is the governing organ of the CP. The Bureau consists of a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. They determine the draft agenda including all programmes and businesses of sessions among other functions
This consists of the Speaker, Chairmen or Deputy Chairmen and Rapporteur of each of the Standing Committees. They work with the Bureau of Parliament to prepare the draft annual work-plan, taking into account priority community programmes among other functions. They also work in close collaboration with national and other regional parliaments.
The seventeen-year-old regional organisation has a representation of 155 members from 15 countries that constitute the regional bloc. This is heavily represented at the CP with eight members from Ghana’s Parliament based on Article (5) of the Protocol that established the regional legislative body.
Each of the 15 member states has a minimum of five guaranteed seats while the remaining seats are shared based on population. With this arrangement, Nigeria has the largest number of 35, with Cote D’lvoire having 7, while Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal have 6 each. The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo have five each.
Ironically, the core mandate of CP is still an advisory one. Members sometimes consider matters relating to activities in the region, especially issues on fundamental human rights and freedoms of people.
What has therefore, happened to the recommendations proposed by the CP on community citizenship, free movement of persons and goods? For so many years the proposals made by the CP have not been effective simply because they lack the power to make them work across the bloc.
As a member of the regional bloc (ECOWAS) and by extension a member of the Community Parliament, Ghana has constituted an eight-member group to represent her in the CP.
The representatives from Ghana are led by the Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh. Ghana’s team is expected to help the CP in its advisory role in considering matters concerning the region, particularly on issues about fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Ghana’s team includes Hon. O. B. Amoah, MP for Akwapim South, Ama Pomaah Boateng Andoh, MP for Juaben, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu and Kwabena Appiah-Pinkrah, MP for Akrofuom.
The rest are MP for Anlo, Clement Kofi Humado, Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central, and Sampson Ahi, MP for Bodi.
With all these experienced hands both past and present, the dream of the CP to assume full legislative powers to legislate laws for good governance and development of the region may continue to remain a mirage, until the laws, which established the CP, are ratified by heads of state and governments of member nations.
The names of Ghana’s representatives were announced on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 by the Majority Leader, Hon. Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, and the House gave its approval.
Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Moustaffa Cisse Lo, in reacting to questions from the media on why the CP cannot make laws for the region, just like its counterparts on the continent, particularly the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), opined that Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS need to amend portions of the protocol being used by the House currently.
“The heads of states have said for it to become a Legislative Assembly, members have to be elected by direct universal suffrage which is what the treaty says and until that happens it is going to be a consultative assembly,” Rt. Hon Cisse Lo reiterated.
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