Why was there no referendum on East African Monetary Union?

Editor,Refer to your story “What next after signing of EA Monetary Union Protocol?” (December 5).Many people have praised the signing but have not looked at the likely negative effects. With one currency we can easily sink together.Greece is a good example. If the Greeks had been using their own currency, they wouldn’t have suffered the way they have. We should appreciate the fact that we all have different strengths and different weaknesses. One weak member state can easily sink the whole bloc, just like a tiny hole in a ship.The big question is: Why were the people never given opportunity to decide on the single currency through a referendum? It happened in Sweden on the Euro, why not in the EAC? Could it probably be because leaders feared that the people could oppose the move?I firmly believe that the ordinary people should have been consulted before signing the protocol on the envisaged East African Monetary Union.I end with Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild’s words; “Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes its laws.”Joshua, Kigali****************I wish to respond to Joshua’s comments. Why the pessimism?Despite all the possible challenges that we might encounter along the way, we should also bear in mind that “United we all stand, divided we fall” as the adage goes.A referendum cannot apply in this case since the concept of a monetary union is highly a technical issue that the majority of the EAC population cannot easily and clearly grasp, let alone being asked to vote on it.Besides, the EAC citizens were generally sensitised about the whole idea. The five East African Heads of State are on the right track and should be hailed and commended.Robert, Dar es Salaam

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Why was there no referendum on East African Monetary Union?