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JOHANNESBURG. – Members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) said that there was an urgent need for the African Union (AU) to intervene and clarify the contentious voting process when it comes to electing leadership.
Proceedings were suspended this week for the third time after delegates clashed over the election process of a new president.
Western and southern Africa regions were pulling from different sides over whether the presidency should move around the continent’s different blocs on a rotational basis.
Tensions were once again high on Tuesday at the Pan-African Parliament sitting in Midrand over the so-called rotational voting system.
Members, mostly from the southern regions said, this system would give countries in their bloc an opportunity to lead.
Julius Malema, who was one of the five members representing South Africa, has been vocal about the rotation of the presidency and called that member states nominate Zimbabwe for the leadership position.
Malema told SABC News that practical solutions were urgently needed to resolve the ongoing impasse.
“We need someone from the AU to come and intervene and facilitate the elections, because there are two letters from the AU which are our colleagues are refusing to adhere to. And the dispute is with regard to those letters from the AU.”
In its short history, there has not been a president from the southern region since the parliament was officially recognised in 2004. The last two presidents have been from west Africa.
AU Commission chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has issued a written warning that the chaos at the PAP was impacting negatively on the AU.
The letter appeared to have empowered the clerk of that parliament, Vipya Harawa to suspend the chaotic sitting of the house.
On Tuesday, Harawa announced that he was suspending the session after three days of failed attempts to hold elections.
In his letter, he warned that the process was sending a very negative image of the parliament and the AU as a whole.
He advised that all activities of the parliament should be suspended for a month.
He repeated that while the parliament had the power to decide, he believed that putting proceedings on ice was the wisest course of action.
“We are accordingly suspending the session to give you time to cool down and at an appropriate time, we can come back when tempers are calmer and we can proceed. This session is suspended.” – EWN.
Online Reporter