EALA MPs during a past sitting in Arusha, Tanzania. Photo | File | Nation Media Group

The transitional parliament says the delay in submitting names of the recently elected representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly is “procedural”.

A report from Tanzania indicates that South Sudan and Kenya have up to date failed to present their preferred MPs to the regional parliament.

Early this month, Members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly in Juba elected nine representatives to the assembly of the economic bloc.

29 candidates contested for the seats, in which six men won through a secret polling; while three females were elected unopposed.

However, two weeks have elapsed and the list of those elected has not reached the assembly’s headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The head of the East African Community Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Mr Owora Otieno, told a Tanzanian media house that they were yet to receive names of the EALA members from South Sudan and Kenya.

Mr. Otieno said this, in effect, has delayed the swearing in of other Members to the Assembly elected from Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda.

It was noted that Kenya could not elect its members due to the August elections.

For South Sudan, the Chairperson of Information at the National Parliament, Paul Yoane, says the list will first be presented to the Presidency.

“Then the leadership will have to officially address the Secretary General of the East African Legislative Assembly that these are the names of the MPs…from South Sudan,” Hon. Yoane told Eye Radio.

“So I would assume it is just a matter of procedure, but they will receive these names in due course.”

The absence of members from South Sudan and Kenya has also delayed the elections of the speaker and deputy speaker.

This is said to have paralyzed the Rules of Procedure at regional assembly which enables the 6 member states to transact business.

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