Speaker, Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) Parliament, Hon. Sidie Mohammed-Tunis has called on regional Legislators to wake up to their responsibility as their mandate is not only to create laws and policies but to rigorously monitor their implementation.
He made the call at a high-level parliamentary seminar on the ‘Role of the ECOWAS Parliament Relating the Challenges of Unconstitutional Regime Change and Presidential Term Limits in West Africa”, organised by the ECOWAS Parliament in Winneba, Ghana.
The Speaker who said in spite of the existence of Community Acts and Protocols intended to consolidate democracy and promote political stability, said the high-level Seminar in was put together as part of the performance of parliaments obligations under the Treaty to determine what causes military takeovers, democratic regression, and political instability in the sub-region.
According to him, to ensure that ECOWAS performs maximally to the expectation of the people, as parliamentarians, they must facilitate robust and continuous
discourse on the broad issues, aimed at formulating effective and sustainable solutions to the tremendous crisis confronting our peoples and humanity in general.
“During this Seminar, we also intend to look at the causes of various attempts by democratically elected leaders in the sub-region to extend their term limits despite crystal-clear constitutional provisions outlining these terms, as well as the potential role the ECOWAS Parliament can play in preventing such anti-democratic actions.
“We note that the role of the Parliament in upholding regional stability, laying the groundwork for democracy, economic growth, and the rule of law, as well as acting as the voice of hope for all our peoples, is invaluable and should never be diminished.
“Parliamentarians need to step up to the plate and demonstrate the extraordinary leadership that is expected of us.
“The adage “to whom much is given, much is expected” applies here. We must embrace democracy as essential to progress and muster the confidence to speak out against leaders who are solidifying their hold on power against the wishes of the people because we have a moral obligation to do so.
“We must denounce those who start constitutional and institutional coups with the same zeal and tones as we denounce military coups. We must publicly denounce corruption, poor leadership, and anti-democratic forces while resisting those who seek to undermine our democracy. To that effect, the ECOWAS Parliament must take charge and ensure that National Parliaments carry out conflict prevention measures in addition to overseeing the effective operation of the ECOWAS Early Warning System.
“We must also be sensitive to the situation of young people in our society, who face poverty, barriers to education, many forms of discrimination as well as limited job prospects and opportunities, leaving them susceptible to engaging in anti-democratic initiatives.
Speaker Tunis said in response to the growing understanding of the value of youth in building resilience and peaceful societies, especially across the region, ECOWAS Parliament is collaborating with Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs), led by Oxfam and its partners, including the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), and the West African Youth Alliance, to establish the ECOWAS Youth Parliament.
“The establishment of the Youth Parliament, which is aligned with the ECOWAS Strategic Objective #5 “Building ECOWAS into a
community of peoples fully inclusive of women, children and youth”, will facilitate the active participation of youths across the region in achieving the
community vision, in coordination with the ECOWAS Parliament,” he said.
