Pan-African pandemonium

MP SHOUTS AT PAP PRESIDENT OVER WHAT HE CALLS ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS’

Averbal altercation between the president of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the Honourable Roger Nkodo Dang, and a Tunisian member of parliament interrupted the fifth ordinary session of PAP’s fourth parliament at the Gallagher Conference Centre in Midrand yesterday.

Tunisian MP Rahoui Mongi barely escaped being frogmarched out of the chamber by security after he repeatedly refused to come to order as ordered by Dang, and a number of other senior parliamentarians.

According to sources at PAP, Mongi has been referred to PAP’s ethics committee for disciplinary action. This follows the discovery that during a recent PAP visit to the US to lobby for sanctions on Sudan to be lifted, Mongi had put his CV forward as a possible replacement to Dang – outside the jurisdiction of his responsibilities as part of the PAP lobbying team.

The issue was discussed by PAP on Tuesday and his referral for disciplinary action was agreed to. But during yesterday morning’s chamber discussion, Mongi stood up and demanded to defend himself against what he said were false accusations. “I never put my CV forward. These are false accusations and I have the right to defend myself,” he said.

Deng repeatedly hammered the desk with a gavel and called for order, telling Mongi 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.

Deng’s calls were supported by several other PAP parliamentarians who strongly criticised Mongi’s behaviour and his repeated interruptions.

But the Tunisian would have none of it and repeatedly spoke over Deng in an argument that continued for about 10 minutes. Finally Deng called on security to escort Mongi out of the chamber, after which he kept quiet and sat down. – ANA