Tanzania Differs with Other EAC Members on ID

(Busiweek)--Tanzania has once again stood in the way of a smooth ride to a single East Africa by raising objections to some issues of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market protocol. Member states agreed on all provisions of the draft protocol, except the ideas of a national ID document, access to and use of land as well as permanent residence.

A press statement issued by the EAC Secretariat said that on all three matters, while Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi push for a similar position, Tanzania sees things differently. The IDs in question would be used to ease the free movement of East Africans across borders. On that article of the protocol, ‘the United Republic of Tanzania’s position is that the national identification document may, among other standard travel documents, facilitate the free movement of the holders, thereof, for partner states that would have accepted its use.’

Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda’s position is that the national identification document shall, among other standard travel documents; facilitate the free movement of the holders. On access to and use of land, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda believe that the protocol should enable a national of any one of the partner states to access and use all land as long as they do that in accordance with the national laws. Tanzania’s position is that land is not a Common Market Protocol issue and hence this sub-article should be deleted altogether.

On permanent residence, the statement said all partner states agreed to bracket the Article, which states ‘permanent residence.’ A permanent resident according to the protocol is any citizen of the partner state who will have resided in the territory of another partner state for a period exceeding five years as resident. Such a person, the draft says, shall be entitled to permanent residence status upon undergoing necessary administration procedures with a competent authority.

The dependants and spouse of such a person shall also be entitled to such status as accorded to the principal. The council of ministers would from time to time provide for any other circumstances in which the citizen of a partner state can be entitled to a permanent resident status. The EAC’s sectoral council on trade, industry, finance and investment and that of multi-sectoral council on EAC Common Market Protocol were in Kampala last week to, among other things, consider the draft protocol.

The document will now be presented to the 7th meeting of the EAC sectoral council on legal and judicial affairs scheduled for 16- 24 April 2009 in Arusha, Tanzania for further scrutiny before it’s submitted to the Summit of EAC Heads of State that will take place from 29- 30 April 2009 in Arusha. The Deputy Secretary General of the EAC, Ambassador Julius Onen noted that in order for East Africans to enjoy the rights and freedoms stated in the draft proposed protocol, the entire cooperation framework in the treaty has to be operationalised.

He explains that means shifting the cooperation paradigm from purely cooperation to full integration of the partner states and making the integration process truly people-centred. Onen said that with the protocol now in its final stages, the cardinal freedoms and rights enshrined in the protocol will unleash to the people of East Africa all factors of production, their rights and freedoms as East Africans to create one big dynamic market. ‘We are therefore at a critical stage of determining the destiny of the people of East Africa,’ Onen said.

‘All of us here therefore are mandated to fulfill the dreams of the framers of our Treaty to have a united and prosperous East Africa with one single Common Market, Monetary Union and ultimately Political Federation,’ he said.

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