THE ROLE OF AFRICAN SUPRA-NATIONAL/REGIONAL PARLIAMENTS IN PROMOTING CONSTITUTIONALISM AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

Abstract

The emergence of regional parliamentary assemblies in Africa had been on the increase since the mid-twentieth century. This research paper reviewed on the role of African supra-national/regional parliaments in promoting constitutionalism and democratic governance. Using the doctrinal research methodology, the paper reviewed the history and evolution of constitutionalism and democratic governance in Africa and examined the role of a selection of regional parliaments in promoting constitutionalism and democratic governance. It was found that although regional parliaments had made remarkable attempts at achieving the objectives of their establishment, they had no enabling institutional and legal framework to contribute meaningfully to regional socio-economic growth, political integration and development. Amongst other things, it was concluded that there was need for the election of members of parliament to be by universal suffrage. There was also need for their various instruments of establishment to be amended to provide the necessary legal empowerments to make laws that are binding on the executive arm of the regional organizations, to secure a consolidated and independent source of funding for the parliaments, and to create a distinction between the parliaments’ constitutive and complementary functions.