African Parliament to continue with polls monitoring role

By Vision Reporter

The Pan African Parliament has rejected a motion that would see the institution pull out from participating in election observation as part of the African Union delegation on the continent.

The motion was moved by Saleh Kebzabo (Chad), who argued that the Pan African Parliament, the legislative arm of the African Union, needed to be independent of the executive, the African Union Commission (AUC).

Currently, PAP carries out election observation under the AU, which provides the chair of the delegation.

He said: “the participation of the PAP in the election observation under the auspices of the AUC does not correspond with its ethics and does not meet the criteria of objectivity as admitted in the domain.”

The MP called for the suspension of PAP participation in election observation under the auspices of the AUC and urged the PAP Bureau to take measures to see that the institution undertakes its own election observation without any external pressure.

Members complained of working with and under people, who have not participated in elections like the civil society, who they said humiliated them while on missions. They also said that flying for long hours in economy class was detrimental to the health of elderly PAP members.

A section of legislators, however, argued that despite their independence as an arm of government, PAP must work with the African Union Commission.

Dr. Bernadette Lahai (Sierra Leone) said PAP had started debating and approving the AU budget following dialogue with the Commission, which initially never wanted the budget presented to the body. She said there was a proposal to have an election observation unit at PAP, which will train and give certification to parliamentarians on election observation.

“Let us record and forward our grievances to the AUC and then work on establishing our election observer unit. Let us also keep dialogue with the AUC on improving the conditions of MPs on observer missions,” said Dr. Lahai.

Members said it was necessary to keep working together on election observation since funding for the missions is sourced and provided through the AUC. They said PAP should not take important decisions based on logistics like financing, not flying business class and lack of translation while on missions.

Meanwhile, PAP has deferred the consideration of a Motion to reconsider the continuous presence of its headquarters in South Africa following the xenophobic attacks in which foreigners were killed in the country in April this year.

The Pan African Parliament has its headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.

PAP president Roger Dang Nkodo said Parliament would reschedule consideration of the motion until after the AU Heads of State have considered the issue during their next summit scheduled for January 2016.

Uganda’s representatives to PAP are: Onyango Kakoba (NRM, Buikwe North), Jacquline Amongin (NRM, Ngora district), Beatrice Barumba (NRM, Kiruhura district), Sam Otada (Ind., Kibanda) and Elijah Okupa (FDC, Kasilo).