ECOWAS Parliament Kicks Off First Session for 2002

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 29, 2002

ECOWAS Parliament Kicks Off First Session for 2002

The parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Tuesday began its first ordinary session for the year 2002 in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

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The parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Tuesday began its first ordinary session for the year 2002 in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

Speaking at the opening of the session, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said that free, fair and peaceful democratic election is the best way forward for the long suffering people of the African continent.

"There is no alternative to the democratic process if Africa is to achieve its full potential for peace, security and rapid socio- economic development," said the president.

At the same venue, ECOWAS chairman Abdoulaye Wade called for member states to move the traditional relationships forward though the intra-regional trade among them only accounts for about 5 percent.

Wade said the bloc has the political will and the capacity to master these relationships in order to make them favorable to Africa.

"We want to move forward toward a political entity for west Africa --either a confederation or a federation of states. This is an important part in our move towards the African Union," he said.

At Tuesday's session, the Abuja-based parliament swore in its newly elected members as well as started discussing country reports on the status of ratification of ECOWAS protocols and conventions.

During the three-week meeting, the parliament will also review the status of payment of contributions, the implementation of the 0.5 percent community levy and the security situation in the sub- region.

The ECOWAS, which was founded in 1975 aimed at economic cooperation and integration, groups 15 members, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

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