By: Ahmed Mohamed Kaikai (Voice of Masoro 90.5FM)
The 5th legislature of ECOWAS Parliament has on Thursday 3rd March 2022 commenced its first parliamentary seminar in Monrovia-Liberia where thematic issue of political and security situation in the ECOWAS region is being discussed.
Welcoming the ECOWAS lawmakers at the Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, the Head of Delegation of the Liberian Parliamentarians to the ECOWAS Parliament, Honorable Edwin Melvin Snow Junior, welcomed the Community Parliament to Liberia, stating that Liberia is not a strange ground for the Community Parliament as his country has benefited from numerous ECOWAS engagements. He urged his colleagues to make use of the Liberian hospitality by doing whatever that is legal to do.
He further expressed his gratitude to Honorable Tunis for continuously putting the Community Parliament on positive strides despite the challenges faced due to the outbreak of Covid 19 in the region and the world at large.
Delivering the keynote address which marked the opening day of the extraordinary summit, the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Honorable Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis informed that the ECOWAS Parliament is been converged in Monrovia to deliberate on the political and security situation in the ECOWAS Region.
“We are gathered as a Committee of the whole to deliberate on one agenda and perhaps the most important regional agenda at the moment, that’s the political and security situation in the ECOWAS Region.” He revealed.
The Pujehun lawmaker further lamented on the increase in retrogression of democracy and the resurgence of unconstitutional change of government in West Africa with emphasis on Mali Guinea and Burkina-Faso.
“We take due cognizance of the fact that the ECOWAS Parliament, being the representative body of the ECOWAS Region, must fully participate in the development of the region, through the promotion of peace and security, human rights and the development of a democratic culture. In order to perform these inviolable responsibilities, we must take ownership of the situations we are confronted with and exhibit leadership to the fullest.” He noted.
He maintained that the situations in the Republics of Mali, Guinea and Burkina-Faso, which is been exacerbated by the failed coup in Guinea Bissau, are threatening issues that require urgent attention from ECOWAS Parliament.
“Constitutional abuse and deficit in good governance principles, the lack of transparency in the electioneering processes, as well as civil unrest resulting from unplanned change in constitution, are factors to which coups d’états have been hinged. As a result, our democratic processes appear weakened, thereby impacting negatively on the image of ECOWAS.” He noted.
He further disclosed that the Community Parliament is knowledge about the situations in those countries where democracy has been abused and hence the decision by the Authority of Heads of State and the Government to suspend them.
Meanwhile, the ECOWAS 1st Parliamentary seminar which begun late this week will continue with an extraordinary summit till late next week as dozens of ECOWAS Parliamentarians are expected to avail themselves in Monrovia where the will be debating on this year’s theme “ECOWAS Vision 2050: Formulation Process and Challenges to the Implementation.”