The elections of Pan-African Parliament’s (PAP) leadership could be further delayed after the body’s legal entity found that the current system was unlawful.
Last week, members in PAP were engaged in fierce debate over the issue of rotational leadership instead of direct elections.
The vote which was scheduled for last Thursday was abandoned after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
The legal directorate says the candidacy process might need to be started over.
The fifth Pan-African Parliament had a tough start to the fourth session with heated debate over the Presidency with threats being exchanged by some members of Parliament.
The Southern region raised the point that African Union (AU) organs have rotational leadership, which was met with fierce resistance from the Western region who argued that this is not how it’s been done in the past.
Now a decision by the legal directorate says that the PAP must follow the rules of the AU. It says elections that fall outside the AU regulatory framework will be considered illegal.
Therefore, it would be better to start the process over in the interest of transparency and equality.
Official opening of the 4th session of 5th Pan-African Parliament
The Pan-African Parliament is set to elect a new leadership on 31 May 2021. Here’s a look back at the previous bureaux pic.twitter.com/AvDEpxqSRJ
— PanAfricanParliament (@AfrikParliament) May 29, 2021
Communiqué from the Pan-African Parliament on the resumption of the business of Parliament tomorrow.
Communiqué du Parlement panafricain sur la reprise des travaux du Parlement demain. pic.twitter.com/csH9lkWCaP
— PanAfricanParliament (@AfrikParliament) May 30, 2021
MEDIA STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/gXrMyLOM31
— PanAfricanParliament (@AfrikParliament) May 27, 2021
