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Constitutional Overhaul Required For Direct Election, Women Affirmative Action - Speaker

In order to brighten the prospect of enhanced women participation in the politics of ECOWAS regional Parliament, Speaker Mohamed Sidie Tunis has said a major constitutional overhaul would be required to guarantee Affirmative Action for women. He disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday, after the opening session of the Delocalised meeting underway in Monrovia, Liberia. "it is practically impossible to implement an affirmative action for women without first understaking a holistic overhaul of the national constitutions of Member States and the parliament." According to him, the idea of enhanced women participation through deliberate policy like Affirmative Action is an idea whose time is long overdue. However, he cautioned that the chances of Affirmative Action will fair better, if Direct Election into the Community Parliament is implimented. Sidie explained that the parliament is committed to see Direct Election and Affirmative Action to fruition, insisting that, when parliamentarians are elected solely for the parliament, it will enhance their concentration as there would be no distractions from national parliaments. He revealed that a Transition Committee is already in place and has had its first meeting in December last year. "One of the issue that has emanated from the activities of the Committee is the issue of funding. But I think funding is infinitesimal part of what is required. I think the first thing is changing national laws because it did not envisage direct election into the parliament. I assure you this Committee will continue to work until we are able to achieve our set objectives."

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