ECOPARL receives country reports from Guinea, Niger and Mali

ECOPARL RECEIVES COUNTRY REPORTS FROM GUINEA, NIGER AND MALI

Odimmegwa Johnpeter/ Abuja

During the presentation of the country reports by the Guinean delegation to the first ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament 2019) notable development in the country’s political landscape include constant debates on one hand, and the current’s electoral process following the extension of parliamentarian’s term in office by a presidential decree on the other hand. The report noted that in the run- up to the legislative elections to be held this year, the chairman of the independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of (Guinea has been holding more and more consultations with institutions (National Assembly, Constitutional court, National Independent Human Rights Institution, High Authority for communication, office of the prime Minister, Ministry for Administration), political parties (RPG, UFDG, BL,UFR.), Civil society, technical and financial partners, with a view to ensuing transparent, credible and peaceful elections that can be accepted by all state holders and to advocating with them for the use of  new information and communication Technologies during the elections. On security situation in Guinea, the report noted that defense and security have recorded significant achievements it further noted prompt Guinean Intervention in the Malian crisis on ties between Guinea and Mali. According to the report, drug trafficking money laundering and child trafficking with the establishment in 2000 of the National Commission to combat the illicit proliferation and Circulation of small Arms and light weapons on human rights situation, the report stated that the National  Independent Human Rights Institution (INIDH) is involved in the varcous tracing of defense and security force, but also in issues of detention law enforcements as well visits to access the state of prisons and the living conditions of  inmates in Conakry and within the country. The report also noted that significant progress has been made in the station of observance / promotion of fundamental Rights and freedoms (Press Freedom and Freedom of opinion, rights of assembly and demonstration). Other areas that have received alternation include-: Protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, Promotion of women’s rights, promotion of child’s rights, situation of refugees and stateless persons, status of Ratification of community Texts, Free Movement of persons and Goods, Economic growth, fight against Youth unemployment, Environment and Climate change, status of the payment into the community levy Account, and feedback from  Ecowas  parliament Sessions to the National Assembly.

The Nigerian delegation report urges community parliamentarians to resolutely partner their respective governments to make the ECOWAS single currency project a reality by 2020. It further noted that the National Council for political Dialogue, established in 2004 with the main mission of preventing and managing political conflicts in Niger is currently closely monitoring the evolution of the electoral process through sessions in which the CENI is invited to share information on developments of its activities. On the security situation in Niger, the reported noted that despite efforts made by the government in the area of security, Niger continues to suffer terrorist attacks. It specifically noted that its forces are fighting on several fronts from the border with Bukina faso up to the Libyan border, from the border with Mali up to the Lake Chad basin. Consequently, the country has continually recruited, trained and equipped its forces build up the capacity to confront these challenges.

The report also recorded tremendous improvement in the areas of implementation of the community levy, free movement of person and Goods, urban infrastructure, Airport infrastative, Energy infrastructure, Economic situation, and state of public finances, poverty reduction, combating youth un employment,  environment  and  climate change. In the area of security the  report noted that the restoration of the Libyan  state in all its  diversity  will improve security in the   security in the entire  region.

The Malian country report is mostly focused on the political and security situation in the country. He report noted that  Mali has been going through a difficult time  in its political history, characterized by a  post-electoral crisis, an unprecedented  security  crisis in the central part of the country, a social l crisis, with recurrent  claims and grievance from workers, incessant strikes in various sectors,  which  affect  the national economy  and threaten the general stability of the country. There are barely disguised calls for popular   uprising and defiance of the legitimate authority. The report also stated that the extension of the mandate of the legislature by six (6) months made it impossible to complete the constitutional review process and the long-awaited territorial reorganization. the report further noted that the socio – political situation in Mali is currently  tense and as a result,   the majority party, the Rassemblement pour le Mali (RPM ), has initiated bilateral and  multilateral constitutions with political stakeholders and civil society with a view to sit down with political and  social forces According to the report, the following conditions. The success of the peace process is dependent on the following condition. The success of all   institutional reform in progress, especially the constitutional review, the setting up and operationalization of units of the Operational  coordination Mechanism (OCM) Battalion in Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu and their deployment under the National Flag in all northern regions with a  view to fighting  against the  prevailing insecurity  that is hampering return to normalcy.

END