Pursuant to provisions of its Rules of Procedure, the EALA will have a one-day sitting in its Chambers in Arusha on Wednesday, 17th December, 2014. The agenda is to receive, consider and adopt the report of the Committee on Legal, Rules and Privileges on the findings into complaints levelled against the Speaker, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa, the grounds of which, the Members are seeking for her removal from holding office.
This follows the adjournment of the sittings on 2nd December, 2014, by the interim Speaker, Hon. Chris Opoka-Okumu.
The Committee, under the chairmanship of Hon. Frederic Ngenzebuhoro, was given twenty one (21) days within which to conclude the investigations and to report back to the Assembly. It has been receiving and assessing evidence submitted to it. The Committee also lined up a number of witnesses among them being the Rt. Hon. Speaker of EALA, Members and staff of EALA, and any other witnesses who it deems are necessary for the discharge of their investigative mandate.
The examination of witnesses, commenced on December 9th,2014 in Arusha. According to the work plan, the Committee intends to conclude its report prior to the scheduled sitting.
Notes to Editors
- Rt. Hon. Speaker remains suspended following a Motion barring her from exercising the functions of Office pending the finalization of the investigations into the Motion for her removal. The Motion was moved by Hon Abdullah Mwinyi on November 26th, 2014. The Hon. Chris Opoka-Okumu is serving in an interim capacity to handle proceedings related to the process for the removal of the Speaker under provisions of Rule 9 of the EALA Rules of Procedure.
- Under the provisions of the Rules, a motion seeking the removal of the Speaker from Office, is referred by the House, to the Committee on Legal, Rules and Privileges for investigation within a specific time frame. Upon conclusion of investigations, the Committee makes a report to the House with clear findings/observations and recommendations.
- The Speaker is accused of misconduct, abuse of Office and disrespect to members among other things.
- The House is expected to consider and adopt the report. As they may have decided, the motion will either succeed or it is lost. The threshold for success is fixed by the Rules upon the happening of the complaints being established as true and the removal process is endorsed by at least two-thirds of the elected Members. If this is the case, the House will proceed to elect a new Speaker. If however, it is established that the complaints carry in-exactitudes or are false and therefore the Speaker has no case to answer or where the two- thirds majority is not garnered, the motion will not succeed and will be said to have been lost. Under the circumstances, the Speaker will continue in office without any inhibition from the motion.
- The Speaker against whom proceedings for removal from office have commenced has the right of appeal and recourse to justice through the relevant courts of law if in his/her opinion, there is/has been or appears to be a miscarriage of justice. She has accordingly filed a case in the East African Court of Justice.
ENDS
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For more information, contact
Bobi Odiko,
Senior Public Relations Officer,
East African Legislative Assembly.
Tel: +255-27-2508240
Fax: +255-27-2503103,
Cell: +255-787-870945 +254-733-718036
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org,
Web: https://www.eala.org
