{{The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is slated to decide today whether to proceed with a motion to censure Speaker Margaret Zziwa, after Court decided it is within its ambit.}}
In its recent ruling, Principal Judge Jean Bosco Butasi, Deputy Principal Judge Isaac Lenaola and Justice Monica Mugenyi said the decision on such motion is provided for in the rules of the assembly.
The first instance division of the East African Court of Justice further contended that no material was adduced before it to suggest that impeachment of the Speaker was an infringement of the EAC treaty.
Reacting to the ruling, EALA MP Mukasa Mbidde, who filed the application to refrain the assembly from proceeding with the matter, said the ruling gives EALA the latitude to determine how to proceed over the matter.
Mbidde further revealed that EALA yesterday had a debate, which was paralysed because the Tanzanian MPs had withdrawn their signatures.
“Considering the ruling, EALA has been given full powers to determine the censure or not of the Speaker. Today (Tuesday) we had a full debate which suffered paralysis due to the withdrawal of signatures of Tanzanian MPs.
In effect, the motion no longer exists. It is dead and has been buried in the history of the community,” he said.
The rules require the motion to be endorsed by not less than four MPs from each member state.
Zziwa said it was as well that members withdraw, because what she was being accused of was malicious. “They were just self-seeking individuals,” she said.
NV
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