African Parliaments challenged to ratify Malabo Protocol

This will give Pan African Parliament legislative powers

The African Parliamentary Press Network ( APPN) has challenged all national Parliaments that are yet to ratify the Malabo Protocol to do so to give the Pan- African Parliament the needed legislative powers.

The Chairperson of the APPN Steering Committee Oluchukkwu Ibekwe made these remarks this week when commending the Executive Council of the African Union ( AU) for resolving the misunderstanding that led to the disruption of proceedings at the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Pan- African Parliament ( PAP).

Much of the credit for this intervention went to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Mahamat and the other policy organs of the AU.

APPN says the misunderstandings were resolved in line with the established African Union values, rules, and regulations.

The African Parliamentary Press Network is a Network of African journalists and information officers reporting from regional, sub- regional and national Parliaments in Africa.

The PAP elections which were to be held last month in South Africa following a resolution for rotation for the presidency of the Parliament were postponed after other regions indicated that they wanted to further consult their constituents. A date has not yet been set for the next session.

APPN Steering Committee Chair Oluchukkwu Ibekwe this week said the Network recalls that the May 2021 election Session of PAP ended in chaos and disorder, due to disagreement among some regions on the application of the principle of rotation in the election of the Parliament’s president.

He said the APPN commends Mahamat for setting up the fact- finding delegation that visited the PAP Secretariat and submitted a progress report with far- reaching recommendations.

“The report of the delegation formed the basis for the decisions and recommendations of the policy organs.

The various interventions culminated in the decision of 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that only regions that have not had the opportunity to lead the Parliament would be eligible to present candidates at the resumed Bureau election to be conducted and managed by the Office of Legal Counsel,” he said.

Ibekwe said APPN urges the Parliamentarians to accept the resolution of the issue in good faith and henceforth focus on issues that promote a united Africa instead of dwelling on issues that tended to divide the continent.

The chairman indicated that these include the manufacturing of COVID- 19 vaccines and related drugs in Africa, challenges of youth unemployment, under- development, poverty, insecurity, and promoting participatory democracy.

The APPN, he said, assures the Executive Council of the

African Union ( AU), and the PAP of its unflinching support and collaboration in providing publicity and education for all African citizens on the Continent on the activities of PAP to make it very relevant to them.