DAR TO HOST 9TH INTER-PARLIAMENTARY RELATIONS SEMINAR

Dar-es-Salaam is to play host to the 9th Inter-Parliamentary Relations Seminar (Nanyuki Series), scheduled for March 3 -4, 2016. The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan will officiate at the opening on behalf of H.E. Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The Seminar organized by EALA in conjunction with the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA), is themed: “Compliance with African Union and Sub-Regional Blocs’ Election Benchmarks: A Case of the East African Community”. 

The Seminar brings together an estimated 250 participants drawn from EALA, National Parliaments of the Partner States’ and EAC Ambassadors. Also expected to be in attendance are representatives of the National Electoral Commissions, the Human Rights’ Commissions and the Civil Society Organizations.

The seminar is to be facilitated by high profile speakers from within and beyond the EAC region who will provide an opportunity for EALA and the National Assemblies to analyze and assess Partner States’ compliance with Africa, EAC sub-regional and Partner States’ national election benchmarks. 

Therein, the Seminar will showcase the relevance of Election Observation Missions in the contribution of strengthening Electoral Management processes in East Africa and delve into the role of Parliamentarians and the EAC in the prevention, management and resolutions of election related conflicts in the EAC region.

This seminar is taking place at a critical point in time when all EAC Partner States have either concluded, or are about to go through the electioneering period. On February 18th, 2016, Republic of Uganda went to elections while the United Republic of Tanzania’s polls and those of the Republic of Burundi were held in October 2015 and May 2015 respectively. On their part, Republic of Kenya and Republic of Rwanda are expected to go to elections next year.

The Inter-Parliamentary Relations Seminar thus shall act as a postmortem or checklist on whether all the EAC Partner States’ election did or do conform and or comply to the regional and sub-regional benchmarks in so far as fairness, credibility and transparency are concerned.

The Seminar shall revisit the three key concepts of democracy, elections and the rule of law and revisit the relationship among them. The Seminar it is hoped will enhance capacities of Parliamentarians to perform their core function in preventing electoral and related electoral conflicts is enhanced.

In addition, it is anticipated that Members of the National Assemblies will be provided with an opportunity to appreciate the progress made so far in the EAC integration process through the Election Observation Missions and therefore the issues discussed will subsequently find their way into the agenda of National Parliaments.