Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Hon. Babirye Kadogo (Ind. Buyende) who were sworn in as the new members of the Pan African Parliament.

The members who were sworn in include Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Hon. Babirye Kadogo (Ind. Buyende). Other new members sworn in were from the Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Niger, Mauritania and Zambia.

In their oath, the Members pledged to “…be faithful and bear true allegiance to the African Union…preserve, protect and defend the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the protocol of the Treaty…promote adherence to the principles of good governance, democracy and human rights, international humanitarian law, peace, stability and all objectives of the Pan African Parliament.”

The PAP is one of the organs of the African Union and comprises five members from each of the 54 African Parliaments. Established in March 2004, the legislature has its headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.

The objectives of the PAP are, among others, to promote peace, security and stability in the region; facilitate cooperation and development in Africa; promote human rights and democracy and to encourage good governance, transparency and accountability in member states.

In his welcome remarks to the new and returning Members, the PAP President, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, reiterated his call for the need for member states to sign and ratify the Malabo Protocol.

It was envisaged from the onset that PAP should have full legislative powers but as it stands now, the organ exercises only consultative and advisory powers. However, with the revised Malabo Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union on the PAP, which was adopted by a decision of the AU Assembly in 2014, in Equatorial Guinea, there are plans to give the body full legislative functions with its Members elected from outside the membership of national parliaments.

Women representation improving

In a related event, the Secretary General of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Martin Chungong, has said that Parliaments in the Arab world and in Africa are becoming more assertive and representative, in terms of women, minorities and youth.

“Africa is faring well, women representation accounts for 23% and 18% in Africa and the Arab world respectively,” he said adding; “We also want to see parliaments made of men and women who uphold integrity in their own right and in society.”

Mr Chungong was addressing PAP Members in a joint meeting of the PAP and the Arab Parliament, which was attended by the Speakers of the National Assembly of Egypt, the Arab Parliament, the PAP President and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

He extended an invitation to the leadership of the PAP to take necessary steps to join the IPU.

The third Ordinary Session of the PAP is sitting from 10th – 19th October 2016 in Cairo, Egypt.

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Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang

The Pan African Parliament has elected Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang as its new President replacing Hon. Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi in a tightly contested race. Hon. Nkodo, from Cameroon and formerly the 1st Vice President representing the Central Africa Region Caucus, defeated Hon. Eduardo Joaquim Mulembwe (Mozambique/Southern Region) and Hon. Rahoui Mongi (Tunisia/Northern Region). Nkodo polled 85 to Mulembwe’s 70 and Mongi’s 9 votes.

The election held at the PAP headquarters in Midrand, South Africa, Wednesday, May 27, 2015 ends weeks of wrangling over Nkodo’s eligibility to stand for the position, which is held on a rotational basis from the five Regional Caucuses of Western, Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern.
Following a Motion on rotation of presidents for the institution passed in 2007, it had been expected that only the Northern and Southern regions would field candidates for President, since the other three regions had held the position. The Eastern Caucus had Dr. Gertrude Mongella (Tanzania), followed by Dr. Idriss Ndele (Chad/Central) and the outgoing Amadi from Nigeria/Western Region. The Vice Chairperson of the Southern Region Caucus Hon. Patrick Mwalula Mucheleka said the Southern Region had not fielded candidates for the previous three elections out of respect for the principle of rotation and appealed to colleagues to respect the principle to “serve the interests of the continent, good governance and deepening democracy.”

The Central Region however, argued that it was normal to field a candidate since it was provided for under the Rules. Uganda’s representatives to the PAP are Hon. Onyango Kakoba (NRM, Buikwe North), Hon. Jacquline Amongin (NRM, Ngora district), Hon. Beatrice Barumba (NRM, Kiruhura district), Hon. Sam Amooti Otada (Ind., Kibanda) and Hon. Elijah Okupa (FDC, Kasilo).
The Pan-African Parliament 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. Its establishment was informed by a vision to provide a common platform for African peoples and their grass-roots organizations to be more involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent.

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