14 Sept 2010
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EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY _______________ IN THE EAST AFRICAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (EALA) The Official Report of the Proceedings of the East African Legislative Assembly 89 TH SITTING – SECOND ASSEMBLY: FIRST MEETING – FOURTH SESSION Tuesday, 14 September 2010 The East African Legislative Assembly met at 2.40 p.m. in the Chamber of Deputies of the National Assembly of Burundi, Bujumbura. PRAYER (The Speaker, Mr. Abdirahin Abdi, in the Chair) (The Assembly was called to order.) ___________________________________________________________________________ PROCEDURAL MOTION And Whereas Rule 2 of the Rules of Procedure provides that, the seat of the The Chairperson, Committee on Legal, Assembly shall be at Arusha in the United Rules and Privileges (Mr. Frederic Republic of Tanzania; Ngenzebuhoro (Burundi): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move: And Whereas sub-rule 7 of Rule 11 provides that the Assembly may, on a That, this House, pursuant to the resolution adopted by a majority of its provisions of Article 55 of the Members, decide to hold one or more Treaty, and Rule 11 of the Rules of sittings elsewhere within the Partner Procedure, do resolve to hold its States, other than at its seat; sittings in Bujumbura, in the Republic of Burundi. Now, therefore, this Assembly do resolve as follows: Ms Valérie Nyirahabineza (Rwanda) : Seconded. That pursuant to the provisions of Sub-rule 7 of Rule 11 stated above, the Assembly Mr. Ngenzebuhoro: Mr. Speaker, Sir; shall hold sittings in the Burundi National th Whereas Clause 1 of Article 55 of the Assembly from today, Wednesday, 14 September 2010 up to Thursday, 23rd Treaty provides that, the meetings of the September 2010. Assembly shall be held at such times and places as the Assembly may appoint; Mr. Speaker, I beg to move. (Applause) 1 Tuesday, 14 September 2010 East African Legislative Assembly Debates (Question proposed) Welcome Remarks to the Speaker of the Burundi National Assembly (Question put and agreed to) Speaker, EALA: Your Excellency, COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR Therence Sinunguruza, the First Vice The Speaker: Honourable Members, President of the Republic of Burundi; amidst us today is His Excellency Your Excellency, the Rt. hon. Pie Therence Sinunguruza, the First Vice Ntavyohanyuma, Speaker, Burundi President of the Republic of Burundi, and National Assembly; hon. Dr. Diodorus the hon. Pie Ntavyohanyuma, the Speaker Kamala, Chairperson of the Council of of the Burundi National Assembly. Ministers; honourable Ministers; hon. (Applause) I have, in accordance with the Members of EALA and the National provisions of Article 54 of the Treaty, Assembly of Burundi; the Deputy invited them to address this Assembly. Secretary General, East African (Applause) Community; Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps; All invited I would now like to make the following guests; Ladies and gentlemen. proclamation to welcome the presence, in the Assembly, of the First Vice President It is with great pleasure that I stand before of the Republic of Burundi, and the you to welcome my good friend and Speaker of the Burundi National colleague, the Rt. Hon. Pie Assembly: Ntavyohanyuma, an accomplished and reputable politician, family man, PROCLAMATION academician, writer and a former top civil servant, to address you. (Applause) As a WHEREAS Clause (1) of Article 54 of the Member of the EAC Speakers Forum, I am Treaty provides that the Speaker of the grateful to the people of Kayanza for Assembly can invite any person to attend having re- elected him to continue his the Assembly notwithstanding that he or political career at the national level. she is not a Member of the Assembly; if in (Applause) I am also grateful to Members his or her opinion the Business of the of the Burundi National Assembly for Assembly renders his or her presence having re – elected him to the high office desirable. of Speaker of the National Assembly. (Applause) His successful re-election is AND WHEREAS in the opinion of the testimony of his astute service for his Speaker, the attendance and presence in people and his country. We as Members of the Assembly of the His Excellency the the EAC Speakers Forum view the Rt. First Vice-President of the Republic of Hon. Ntavyohanyuma as an elder of great Burundi and the Speaker of the Burundi vision, wisdom and foresight. I am National Assembly is desirable in therefore excited about his re-election to accordance with the Business now before both positions. (Applause) the Assembly. The EAC Speakers Forum stands to NOW THEREFORE , It is with great benefit a lot from his profile as it pleasure and honour, on your behalf Hon. progresses towards positively influencing Members, to welcome the presence of the important decisions in the EAC, and First t Vice-President of the Republic of towards enhancing relations between Burundi and the Speaker of Burundi EALA and the national parliaments. These National Assembly in this Chamber. foundations were laid during his tenure as (Applause) Chairperson of the Forum. (Applause) 2 Tuesday, 14 September 2010 East African Legislative Assembly Debates In addition to his excellent profile, the hon. Fourth Session of the East African Ntavyohanyuma is also a backbone of Legislative Assembly. (Applause) I would community development ethos in his also like to extend the same welcome to constituency, and in the country as a the Honourable Speaker of the East whole. ( Applause) His participation in African Legislative Assembly and all several community development and Members of this House. (Applause) human rights initiatives has attracted a lot of support and resources for the people of Allow me to welcome all Members of the Burundi. His achievements in the pursuit different Delegations and wish them a of justice, peace and human rights have pleasant stay in our capital city, also endeared him to regional peace Bujumbura. initiatives with the Parliament of Rwanda and the Parliament of the DRC, and in I also would like to extend my welcome, 2009, he chaired a joint meeting of the once again, to all Members of the Bureaus Speakers from the three countries to lay of the Parliament of Burundi and all strategies for peace in the parliamentary Burundian Members of Parliament who context. (Applause) were trusted by the people of Burundi during the legislative and senatorial With those few remarks, I would now wish elections that took place in July 2010. I to execute my humble duty to invite the sincerely congratulate them. (Applause) Rt. Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly of Burundi, the Hon Pie Welcome to Kigobe, all of you who have Ntavyohanyuma, to address this August responded positively to this appointment. Assembly. (Applause) You are most welcome. (Applause) Your presence shows your interest in inter- ADDRESS BY THE SPEAKER, BURUNDI parliamentary dialogue within our East NATIONAL ASSEMBLY African Community. The subjects discussed in our sessions are of paramount The Speaker, Burundi National importance for the present time and the Assembly (Rt. hon. Pie future of our institutions and our peoples. Ntavyohanyuma): Your Excellency Thérence Sinunguruza, First Vice- This session is taking place in a special President of the Republic of Burundi; political context for the whole sub-region. Honourable Abdirahin Haithar Abdi, Burundi has just completed an electoral Speaker of the East African Legislative process, which has renewed institutions Assembly; Honourable Members of the through communal, presidential, Bureaus of the Parliament of Burundi; legislative, senatorial, and local elections. Honourable Parliamentarians; Honourable In the Republic of Rwanda, presidential Ministers; Your Excellencies Ambassadors elections were held and crowned by a great and Diplomats; distinguished success. The special feature of the representatives of international electoral processes in both Burundi and organizations; distinguished guests; ladies Rwanda is that the Heads of State in and gentlemen. office, Their Excellencies Pierre Nkurunziza and Paul Kagame, were re- Allow me, first, on behalf of the elected. (Applause) On behalf of the Parliament of Burundi and on my behalf, Parliament of Burundi, I congratulate them to extend our warm welcome to His and assure them of our strong support. As Excellency the First Vice-President of the observers did witness, they won these Republic of Burundi, who is gracing with elections with overwhelming majorities, his presence the opening ceremony of the 3 Tuesday, 14 September 2010 East African Legislative Assembly Debates and they were fair, free, and transparent. African Community. This session is, For us, this is an eloquent sign that therefore, being held with the purpose of democracy is deep-rooted in East Africa. evaluating the implementation of the (Applause) programs and action plans agreed on during previous sessions. It is therefore an I avail myself this opportunity to express honour for the Parliament of Burundi to our deep appreciation to the Secretariat of host such a meeting. I assure you that we the East African Community and the will do everything we can to make your Secretariat of the East African Legislative stay in Burundi pleasant: the work of this Assembly for their attention and their session will be done in a pleasant multifaceted support to the Burundian environment. (Applause) electoral process. They sent many observers. We would like all Partner States I wish to conclude my remarks by inviting of the East African Community to you to listen to the speech of His continue to be involved in all elections Excellency