MP Welcome elected unopposed at Pan African Parliament
NOMINATION:
The position was previously held by former Motshane MP Robert Magongo. It was gathered that MP Dlamini was nominated by members from Zimbabwe and Botswana after which there was no further nomination and he was duly elected unopposed.
MBABANE – Mbabane East Member of Parliament (MP) Welcome Dlamini has scored himself a big position in the Pan African Parliament (PAP).
Dlamini was elected yesterday at the PAP Extra Ordinary Session, which is currently taking place in Midrand, South Africa. He has been elected as the new Bureau of the Southern Africa Caucus, which is made up of 10 member countries.
The position was previously held by former Motshane MP Robert Magongo. It was gathered that Dlamini was nominated by members from Zimbabwe and Botswana, after which there was no further nomination and he was duly elected unopposed.
Meanwhile, before the election, about five local parliamentarians took part in the swearing-in of members PAP. The parliamentarians include Senator Tony Sibandze, who is leading them, Senator Stukie Motsa and Members of Parliament (MPs) Welcome Dlamini, David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala and Sibongile Mamba.
The session began yesterday with the parliamentarians joining their colleagues from other countries in taking the administration of oath of office to serve in the organisation. As per the law, in order for an official to take office, he or she must first take the oath of office. This is also referred to as a swearing-in ceremony. The official reciting the oath swears an allegiance to uphold the constitution that governs the PAP.
According to the African Union (AU) website, the PAP was set up to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the economic development and integration of the continent. It is intended as a platform for people from all African States to be involved in discussions and decision making on the problems and challenges facing the continent.
DESIGNATED
The website states that rather than being elected directly by the people, PAP members are designated by the legislatures of their Member State and members of their domestic legislatures. It is stated that the ultimate aim is for the Parliament to be an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected by universal suffrage. Until such time, the PAP has consultative, advisory and budgetary oversight powers within the AU.
A day before the start of the extra ordinary session, the parliamentarians participated in a joint meeting of what is known as the Bureax of the organs of the PAP. At the joint meeting, they were addressed by the Acting PAP President, Lucia Dos Passos, who issued an urgent call for unity among members to prevent the diminishing of the institution’s influence.
The acting president said it was imperative that they unified and directed their full attention towards advancing legislative solutions across the continent to address the concerns of citizens. “The divisions and internal conflicts only undermine the significance of our Parliament. Now is the moment to return to our core mission and focus on the common ground that binds us,” she said.
It should be noted that in 2021, there was mayhem at a meeting of the PAP when lawmakers scuffled over a ballot box and a man appeared to aim a head-high kick at a female colleague amid shouts that there were people armed with guns in the room.
Disagreement
This happened following a disagreement over the process to elect a new president for the AU’s legislative body boiled over. The scenes were broadcast on South Africa’s national broadcaster the SABC. The election was suspended while leaders worked out a way forward.
There were reports that the chaos was in fact caused by a disagreement between a block of countries from West Africa and a block from southern Africa over whether the presidency should move around the various regions of Africa, on a rotational basis. At the time, it was argued that the last two presidents of the PAP had been from West Africa and there had never been one from the south in the short history of the Parliament.
In terms of background, the PAP was established in March 2004, by Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, as one of the nine Organs provided for in the treaty establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja, Nigeria, in 1991. The Protocol establishing the PAP was ratified by 49 Member States. The total number of members of the PAP is 275.
PAP was set up to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the economic development and integration of the continent.
Article 4 of the protocol establishing the PAP requires that each national Parliament be represented by five members, at least one of whom must be a woman. The representation of each member State must reflect the diversity of political opinions in each national Parliament or deliberative organ.
According to Article5 of the same Protocol, the PAP members are elected or designated by the national Parliaments of the member States. The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament is informed by a vision to provide a common platform for African peoples and their grass-roots organisations to be more involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent.
The functions and Powers of the PAP are defined in Article 11 of the Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Pan-African Parliament.
The functions include to examine, discuss or express an opinion on any matter, either on its own initiative or at the request of the assembly or other policy organs and make any recommendations it may deem fit relating to, inter alia, matters pertaining to respect of human rights, the consolidation of democratic institutions and the culture of democracy, as well as the promotion good governance and the rule of law.
Another function is to discuss its budget and the one of the community and make recommendations thereon prior to its approval by the assembly of the AU. The PAP also has a mandate to work towards the harmonisation or co-ordination of the laws of the member States. It makes recommendations aimed at contributing to the attainment of the objectives of the AU and draws attention to the challenges facing the integration process in Africa, as well as the strategies for dealing with them.
Furthermore, the PAP has a mandate to promote the programmes and objectives of the AU, in the constituencies of the member States and also ensure the co-ordination and harmonisation of policies, measures, programmes and activities of the Regional Economic Communities. Later on the day, it was reported that the Mbabane East MP has been nominated the Southern Caucus Regional Rappaportuer.