The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat has called on the African legislators to “unite and put people Africa first” at the opening ceremony of the Ordinary Session of the fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), currently underway in Midrand, South Africa.
This Session, convened to elect the new Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament comes a year after members of the legislative arm of the African Union failed to choose their leaders owing to differences on modalities of handling the election.
“Honorable Pan-African Parliamentarians, we and our governments have a long way to go so that you can, as reason and wisdom dictate, find yourselves in the best possible conditions to fulfil your noble mission,” said H.E. Mahamat.
“We need you to unite so as to achieve the goal of a developed and prosperous Africa. We are aware challenges are there but when we try everything and unite towards one Africa, we will achieve our goal for the people of Africa. We need to start seeing things with one eye. Division will never get us anywhere as Africans.”
The Chief Executive Officer and Legal Representative of the African Union told the Pan-African parliamentarians to develop a culture of robust engagements over squabbling.
“Need I stress that this noble mission is precisely the one that dictates the ethics and moral virtues that must inspire your actions, your behavior, and your political strategies. It is well known that parliaments throughout the world are important places for debates and confrontation of ideas. These debates can, from time to time, take on a heated character. Debating, not fighting is the hallmark of parliamentary life.”
He added: “It is worth reminding everyone of the duties of moderation, balance, restraint, and self-control that should always be the prerogative of those who belong to such an honourable and prestigious institution.”
He also challenged the African legislators to make Africa proud by adopting a clean slate that won’t see them fighting over leadership roles during election time, urging them to always follow Nelson Mandela’s legacy of unity.
“The time has come to turn these sad and dark pages of the history of the Pan-African Parliament once and for all and to start afresh. The time has come to return to the noble behavior that has long characterized Pan-African parliamentarians and that has made the African Union proud. The time has finally come for fraternal dialogue, in a calm climate, to take precedence over confrontation".
“At this turning point in the history of our continent, it seems to me more relevant to stick to the essentials. And the essential thing is to gather around our convergences by minimizing our differences, the essential thing is to align ourselves behind our ideals of solidarity, sharing and concord in order to better prepare ourselves to face together the enormous challenges facing our continent,” said a determined Chairperson of the African Union commission who further highlighted that the impending election will not see winners or losers.
“It will be a collective victory, the victory of reason, of surpassing oneself and of fair play, the victory of the Africa we want. Africa will not be built by manichean majorities nor by pyrrhic victories. Africa will triumph by transcending what Mandela called the human frailties of selfishness, inability to forgive and revenge. Let us together honor his memory, especially here in South Africa,” he concluded.
H.E. Mahamat was representing H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal and incumbent Chairperson of the African Union, as the presiding officer of the opening ceremony of the Ordinary Session of the fifth Parliament. He will also chair the plenary session dedicated to the election of the President of the Pan-African Parliament scheduled to take place on 29 June 2022.
The impasse at the Pan-African Parliament was resolved by an Executive Council decision in October 2021, which reiterated the principle of rotation of the leadership of Parliament. The decision also charged the Office of the Legal Counsel of the Union to prepare modalities and conduct the elections of the new Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament.
