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MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA – The Pan African Parliament (PAP) will next week elect a Fourth Vice President for the continental legislative body and has called on the African Union Commission to allocate more resources to ensure effective programming.
This was revealed by H.E Chief Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Pan African Parliament at the joint bureauxes meeting yesterday at the PAP headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.
The PAP Committee Sitting comes at a time when Africa faces serious financial constraints. HE Charumbira said the recent suspension of aid by the United States Government for 90 days should serve as a wake-up call for the continent to break free from perpetual dependence on foreign assistance.
“Our continent is endowed with abundant resources yet we continue to be at the mercy of donor funding. It is high time we accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to strengthen intra-African trade and build economic resilience. Additionally, we must push for an African Common Currency to solidify economic integration and enhance our global bargaining power.
“While we strive to address continental issues, we must also strengthen our institution. Unfortunately, the 2025 PAP Budget remains inadequate, with no allocation for Committee activities and Bureau operations. We cannot fulfill our mandate effectively under these conditions. Even the budget for the Committee meetings is grossly inadequate. We have only US$530 000 for the two Committee Sittings for 2025. This translates to US$265 000 for the current Committee Sittings which is about a quarter of the required budget of US$800 000. This amount can barely cover interpreters and translators,” Chief Charumbira said.
The limited budget has forced PAP to be creative in a manner that may not best serve its Committees. The continental legislative body has been compelled to convene Joint Meetings to reduce the cost of interpretation, among other cost-saving measures.
“For us to be able to sit, we have been forced to combine the budget for this Sitting with the budget for the August Committee Sittings. Without that, we cannot meet physically. I urge all members to advocate for increased funding for PAP at the AU level. Additionally, I encourage national parliaments to consider seconding staff to PAP as an interim solution to our manpower challenges,” Chief Charumbira added.
In accordance with Article 12.2 of the PAP Protocol, which mandates regional representation in the Bureau, and Article 12.10, which requires that a vacancy in the Office of the President or Vice-President be filled “at the sitting of the Pan-African Parliament immediately following its occurrence,” the PAP will hold an election for the 4th Vice President (Central Africa) on Thursday, 27 February 2025. 32.
Under the PAP Rules of Procedure, the term “sitting” includes Committee Meetings, making it permissible to conduct this election prior to the next ordinary plenary session. The Central African Regional Caucus will meet on Monday 24 February, to nominate its candidate, ensuring continued regional representation in the PAP Bureau.
“This election is critical in upholding our institution’s regional balance, stability, and effectiveness. I urge all stakeholders to ensure a smooth and transparent process that strengthens our commitment to democracy and regional inclusivity,” the PAP President added.
