By Donstance Koroma
The Speaker of the 6th Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu has on Tuesday 7 November 2023 during the swearing of the 52 members of the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) disclosed that both sides of the eyes that himself as Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament and others from Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa vigorously campaigned for the Tanzania Speaker elected as the 31st president of the Inter Parliamentary Unit (IPU) Organization by the IPU Governing Council.
According to Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, the move by Sierra Leone to champion the campaign for the election of Ms. Tulia Ackson, Speaker of Tanzania Parliament further strengthen ties both countries than ever.
The election of Madam Tulia Ackson as president of the IPU made her the third woman president of the IPU after Najima Heptullia from India since 1999 – 2002 and Gabriela Cuevas from Mexico from 2017-2020.
The determination from Africa women for the presidency of the IPU was visible as three female members of parliament from Africa continent contested with Tulia Ackson for seat of the IPU president.
Hon. Adji Diarra Mergane Kanoute of Senegal, Hon. Catherine Gotani Hara of Malawi and Hon. Marwa Abdibashir Hagi of Somali battled with the Speaker of Tanzania, Tulia Ackson for the IPU Presidency.
The election of the Tanzania Speaker of Parliament, Tulia Ackson indisputably positioned her first ever Africa and east Africa president of the IPU to be specific replacing Duarte Peacheco whose three years mandate ended.
According to source, Tulia Ackson after her election was quoted saying thus: “I will serve diligently and tirelessly to address a myriad of challenges facing the world and strive to realize the goal”.
The speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania was born on the 23rd November 1976 has been in office since 2022.
She was appointed as a Member of Parliament by President John Magufuli.
Turning 47 years on 23 November this year has led the Tanzania parliament since 2022 after serving as Deputy Speaker for seven years.
Prior to her current role, she held the positions of Deputy Speaker and Deputy Attorney General, her election as the IPU president is a historic first marking her as the first African woman to hold such position.
Madam Ackson is a member of the CCM political party of Tanzania with Mbeya Mjini as her constituent. She joined the University of Dar es Salaam in 2001 where she started to work as a postgraduate teaching assistant.
She was promoted in 2004 to an Assistant Lecturer after successful completion of her Master degree in Law.
In 2007, she was promoted to a lecturer after obtaining a Doctorate. In 2009, she became the Associate Dean of the University of Dar es Salaam School of law and served in that position for a total of six years.
The Inter Parliamentary Unit Organization is a global organization of national parliaments that began in 1889 as a small group of parliamentarians dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.
Since then, the IPU has grown into a truly global Organization with 180 members and 14 Associate members crawling ever closer to universal membership with 180 members of parliament out of the 193 countries under the sun from huge nations like China, India and Indonesia to the tiny States of Cabo Verde, San Marino and Palau with an overwhelming majority of the world’s 8 billion people.
