ISS: Pan-African Parliamentâs woes reflect a crisis in leadership
Written by ISSAfrica -
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The PAP can only be saved if MPs truly represent African citizens and the AU gives the body power.
Chaotic scenes at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Johannesburg last week have prompted a strong reaction from across the continent. African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called for PAP activities to be suspended until the issues around electing a new PAP president and bureau were settled. The incidents have exposed an institution that, except for recurrent scandals of corruption, has hitherto existed in obscurity.
Many ask whether the PAP is worth maintaining. It costs the AU around US$15 million annually and considerable sums to member states whose delegates attend the sittings twice a year. The host country, South Africa, pays for the venue of the PAPâs bi-annual sitting at the Gallagher Estate convention centre.
Chaotic scenes at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Johannesburg last week have prompted a strong reaction from across the continent. African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called for PAP activities to be suspended until the issues around electing a new PAP president and bureau were settled. The incidents have exposed an institution that, except for recurrent scandals of corruption, has hitherto existed in obscurity. Many ask whether the PAP is worth maintaining. It costs the AU around US$15-million annually and considerable sums to member states whose delegates attend the sittings twice a year. The host country, South Africa, pays for the venue of the PAP’s bi-annual sitting at the Gallagher Estate convention centre.
TIME: Starting from 10:00 a.m. East African Time
WHY: The Charter for African Cultural Renaissance adopted by the 6th AU Assembly held in Khartoum, the Sudan in January 2006 entered into force in October 2020 upon receipt by the AU Commission of the 15th instrument of ratification of this important arts, culture and heritage cultural policy instrument. The fifteen (15) AU Member States that have ratified this instrument are: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Congo, Cote d Ivoire, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Mali, Malawi, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal and South Africa. Thirty-four Member States have signed this instrument. The AU theme of the year for 2021 is: Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa we Want . The AU theme of the year for 2021 presents a unique opportunity for the continent to celebrate its great Pan-Africanists who have played and are still playing a key role in African renaissance and re-birth. The event will also provide an opportunity for Member