The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Bill will soon be forwarded to the President for assent, after it was approved by Senators. The draft law had earlier been okayed by the Chamber of Deputies.It is however still in the Speaker’s office. Denis Polisi, the vice Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, disclosed yesterday that the bill was being translated from Kinyarwanda to English and French. After the President’s approval, the bill will be published in the national gazette and become a law. The draft law will pave way for elections of the country’s representatives to the EALA, the East African Community (EAC)’s legislative arm. Rwanda signed the EAC Accession Treaty four months ago and is supposed to fully participate in the regional bloc’s affairs thereafter. He said Parliament wants the process completed in time and prepare for the elections. Currently, EALA has 27 MPs from the three original member states (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania). Some protocol amendments would be made first to allow in Rwanda and Burundi representatives totalling to eighteen. The lawmakers have a five-year mandate.Rwanda will be represented by people elected from various political organisations, and special groups including women, youth and the disabled. Sheikh Abdul Karim Harerimana, Jacqueline Muhongayire and Claire Kayirangwa resigned last week from the Chamber of Deputies in order to stand for the EALA jobs. Ends
