Verbal spat at Pan African Parliament

A VERBAL altercation between the president of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), Roger Nkodo Dang, and a Tunisian MP, interrupted the Fifth Ordinary Session of PAP’s Fourth Parliament at the Gallagher Conference Centre in Midrand yesterday.

Tunisian MP Mongi Rahoui barely escaped being frogmarched out of the chamber by security after he repeatedly failed to come to order, as ordered by Dang, and a number of other senior parliamentarians. According to sources, Rahoui has been referred to PAP’s ethics committee for disciplinary action. This follows the discovery that during a recent visit to the US to lobby for sanctions to be lifted from Sudan, Rahoui had put his CV forward as a possible replacement to Dang, outside the jurisdiction of his responsibilities, as part of the lobbying team. The issue was discussed by PAP on Tuesday and his referral for disciplinary action was agreed to. But during yesterday’s chamber discussion, Rahoui stood up and demanded to defend what he said were false accusations.

“I never put my CV forward. These are false accusations and I have the right to defend myself,” Rahoui railed.

Dang hammered the desk with a gavel and called for order, telling Rahoui that further action on the issue had already been agreed to, that the Tunisian MP was out of order and had no right to interrupt the chamber session. Dang’s calls were supported by several other PAP parliamentarians, who strongly criticised Rahoui’s behaviour and his repeated interruptions. But the Tunisian was having none of it and repeatedly spoke over Dang, as the argument continued for about 10 minutes. Finally Dang called on security to escort Rahoui out of the chamber, after which he sat down. – ANA