Africa has an upward spiraling population of 1.2 billion people, which reportedly will reach 2.4 billion by 2050. Of the 54 countries on the Continent, 26 have bicameral systems, and 30 have unicameral, with South Sudan being one of the newest legislatures, and Kenya transition from a unicameral to bicameral legislature as part of the changes in its 2010 Constitution. For Africa to continual move forward, African legislatures must truly be transparent, and play a more significant role in how the future of their nation will be shaped, in some ways, even more so than in established democracies, or their executive branches.
There are two things they have to be: “transformational,” and “transactional,” innovators to address good governance (political/economic areas), social sector needs, and fight corruption, and then avid, committed gatekeepers of those reforms. Meaning African legislatures must have transformational, vision ideas to and expand good governance, fight corruption, and encourage good leadership and transparency, while simultaneously transforming the social and economic agendas of their nations and execute or transact this into legislation or constitutional changes. Recognizing that these two words – transformational & transactional - are not always used to explain the role of African legislatures, here are ways to think about the role of African national assemblies or parliament in a new more progressive manner, and what they mean in this context:
In far too many cases, African legislatures, and this applies to the U.S. Congress, struggle to not only draft but advance key pieces of legislation which truly change the social and economic paradigms of their nation-state. That being said, in less developed democracies this is far more problematic because the life safety values are insufficient and sustainable institutions are rare. In Sub-Saharan Africa this is more the case and this article is highlighting what it is calling the 7-Point Plan to African Legislative Wellness and Sustainability that need more attention:
3.) Most do not have independent research or budget offices (i.e. that perform roles similar to the U.S. congressional research or budget offices) to provide them with the support needed to draft good legislation to address key social and economic issues.
6.) Constituent outreach during non-elections years is rare, and in places where it is good doesn’t translate often into legislative action or long term social change for the region;
It is more common that when legislative changes do take place in African nations a large part of the legislative structure becomes dysfunctional for a time since most staff is linked to the life of a single politician and because there is no professional committee or subcommittee staff that provides continuity. Thus, no institutional sustainability that provides not only best practices, but has some institutional memory as to what has gone on before. In many cases each time there is an electoral change, new African legislators are in reality reinventing the wheel because of this deficit in instructional sustainability. This makes their ability to meet their transformational and transactional responsibilities difficult, even if the desire is there. Even for repeat members this lack of institutional sustainability is a problem. There are a few exceptions on the Continent; but, for most of Africa this is quite rare.
A Closer Look:
Transformational vision through transactional legislation is the only means by which African democracies can thrive and move forward. African and donor nations must refocus on these two roles for sustainable democracy as an additional development area. Countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, to name a few, would not be as far behind on implementing the 2015 Millennium Development Goals if their legislatures were more transactional with the goal of transforming their nation. The last five Nigerian legislative sessions have passed very few laws (representing more than a decade); Kenya’s President may not have had his case referred to the International Criminal Court if the international community believed that the national justice system with laws legislated by the parliament were sufficient enough to independently review case. In Ethiopia, the legislature is a rubber stamp being neither transformative nor independently transactional on behalf of the people. South Africa is ahead of most, with better transparency, institutionalization, but there also more transactional legislation is need in social sector reform, particularly since the country has the greatest wealth disparity in the world.
In some countries, African legislators receive enormous salaries. Nigeria is a case in point, where anecdotal information suggests that members received $104-106,000 per quarter in salary and allowances. Yes, the argument that these salaries cover running of their offices, staff salaries, and supporting (undefined) constituents. But really, if so more transparency and oversight are needed to demonstrate this? African legislators have to be just as transparent as they should want their executive branches to be. The examples on the continent of nations that fail to have truly independent legislatures with the goal of being transformative through transactional legislation are far too many to name, and rarely do Africa’s friends place enough attention and funding on assisting African legislatures at the national, and particularly at the subnational level. Yes, there is some assistance, but small, compared to need, and cannot always targeted in the key areas mentioned above in the 7-Point Plan to African Legislative Wellness and Sustainability. In addition elements of the U.S. Congress need to be reminded of these as well.
African legislators (national and subnational) could use a checklist that looks 7-Point Plan in order to better fulfill both their transformative and transaction roles. Donor nations, as they continue to stress good governance and leadership, should expand and be more creative in their training of African legislatures, particularly looking at areas seven areas noted above.