News Analysis by Leo Odera Omolo
Reports emerging from Dar-Es-Salaam says Tanzania has thrown the issue on the table by proposing the theme “Coalition Government Democracy in dilemma as one of the main topics to be discussed at the next Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference to be held in Arusha from September 28th to 6th October.
Traditionally the host country picks a topic for discussion at one of the workshops during the conference , and Tanzania chose coalition government given the recent political development following the disputed elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The common wealth parliamentary association is an annual political gathering and an open forum of commonwealth parliamentary association composed of parliaments and legislators of 52 of the 53 commonwealth nations and their overseas territories.
It has a membership of more than 16,000 members of national state, provincial and territorial assemblies. The Queen of England. is traditionally the head of the Commonwealth.
Political analysts say coalition governments are increasingly becoming an African way of reconciling the defeated and the winners in an election but with an alternate comprising of democracy expansion which is of high importance in accountability and good governance systems.
In coalition governance systems, the governance systems, the merger between the opposition and the ruling party tends to water down the effectiveness and presence of the former which is meant to provide for the check and balance for the system and this leaves the new governance system undefined without effective opposition.
Kenya and Zimbabwe are the best examples of an African political landscape being touted as a solution for disputed elections that turned violent, according to a recent analytical article in the Nairobi based Weekly,theEAST AFRICAN.
The CPA current president and Tanzanian National Assembly Speaker Samuel Sitta was quoted by EAST AFRICAN as saying the organizing committee will set the agenda of political issues to be discussed at the 55th Common Wealth Parliamentary Conference.
The agenda will include the 29th small Branches Conference, a meeting of parliamentarians from more than 30 Common Wealth National States, Provinces and territories with a population of up to 500,000 people.
At the 54th Common Wealth Parliamentary Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August last year, the main topic was “Credible Elections and challenge of Democratic Election” discussed in connection with the current political development in many countries in the world.
The need for fully independent Electoral Commissions and their essential role in the democratic process was over stressed.
Kenya will take over Common Wealth Parliamentary Association Presidency which rotates among Parliamentarians from the Common Wealth of Nations consisting mainly former British colonies and protectorate and Dominion from Tanzania at the Arusha meeting this year and will host 56th CPA Conference in 210
The two coalition governments within the Common Wealth, namely Kenya and Zimbabwe are presently facing crisis of confidence. Both Governments are unstable and full of political intrigues.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

– – –
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 08:18:36 -0700 [10:18:36 AM CDT]
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: NEXT COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY MEETING FOR ARUSH IN SEPTEMBER