The Pan African parliament was founded with the ambition of uniting the continent, but its 275 MPs are not united. At the opening session of the 6th assembly of the Pan African Parliament, the current President, Zimbabwean-born Fortune Charumbira, made desperate pleas for members to unite to rebrand and repair the parliament’s reputation.
Speaking at the opening session, Charumbira said internal disputes had disrupted funding. The PAP is funded by member states through the African Union as part of its organs as well as voluntary contributions from development partners and other miscellaneous income
Infighting in the parliament surfaced in 2021 after divisions over the next president of the 275-member parliament, with southern african delegates insisting that their candidates should be chosen to end the dominance of other regions.
Our source at the PAP told us: that it’s like another Anglo-French war taking place inside the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the French-speaking MPs do not regard their English-speaking counterparts, and one region wants control over the other.
Reportedly, a PAP meeting costs over $770, 000 to convene. There are two sittings per year one in March and another in August meaning that the PAP requires more than $ 1,6 million a year to host both meetings. In addition, the budget for this year’s two plenary sessions combined comes in at over $2.7 million.
If this money is not available, the sessions may not be held resulting in a total collapse of the already fragile parliament. In his opening address, Charumbira said the PAP had become known as “an institution of hooligans” and called for legislators to restore its glory.
Kenya’s President William Ruto had proposed for the Pan-African Parliament to be reduced from 275 seats to 100 members, and that the parliament should be repurposed to make it cost-effective. Ruto added that the number should include one woman and one man from each country and be a full-time organisation.
He was speaking in an interview with Kenyan media. The former PAP president stated that Parliament should be able to approve the AU’s budget. The Pan-African Parliament was established to ensure that Africans can fully participate in the continent’s economic development and integration.
The PAP is meant as an opportunity for people from all African states to participate in conversations and decision-making on the problems and difficulties that the continent faces. Members of the PAP are appointed by their member states’ legislatures.
The goal is for Parliament to be an institution with complete legislative powers. And there have been complaints about service and logistical problems. At the 6th parliament recently held at the headquarters in Midrand, to acquire a simple day pass to parliament proved to be time consuming, with many saying that unfriendly stuff were not willing to assist.
Meanwhile outside the venue, a protestor’s car – a Toyota Fortuner – was stolen in full view of security personnel. It was however recovered 40 minutes later in Soweto, south of Johannesburg. The protesters were outside the gate to call for the AU’s legislative body to facilitate the release of two South African Engineers – Peter Huxham and Frik Potgieter – imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea for more than 500 days.
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