The Pan African Parliament (PAP) is optimistic about securing the necessary funds to carry out its legislative functions following an ongoing Extraordinary Session aimed at re-electing members for its Bureau.
The session, scheduled from March 20th to 27th, 2024, is seen as a crucial step in addressing the financial challenges that have hampered the Parliament’s operations.
The PAP has been grappling with financial constraints, leading to the postponement of its quarterly sessions in 2023. Despite the last session being held in May 2023, subsequent sessions have been delayed due to internal leadership issues within the Bureau.
Press Conference
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Extraordinary Session in Midrand, South Africa, Hon. Lucio Dos Santos, Acting President of PAP from Cape Verde, expressed confidence in the Bureau’s ability to raise additional funds.
She stated that the successful elections would demonstrate to the African Union (AU) and other partners the Parliament’s commitment, potentially leading to the allocation of a supplementary budget.
Complying with Executive Council decision
“We are complying with the decision of the Executive Council to hold the elections at the latest by the end of March. With this, we will gain a vote of trust from the AU and we will have an open door to request a supplementary budget,” she indicated.
Dos Santos emphasized the importance of securing additional funds, noting that the current budget was insufficient for the ongoing session. She highlighted the Bureau’s intention to request a supplementary budget from the AU to support its activities.
She observed, “The budget that we are using for this session is not about our operating budget but given that this is an emerging situation, we had to make the necessary adjustments to the budget so that we could request a supplementary budget from the African Union at a later stage.
The need for additional funds for PAP to run
“We believe that the Ambassadors and ministers of Foreign Affairs are indeed aware of the responsibilities of the Pan-African Parliament and we believe that we are going to get a supplementary budget for 2024 because it doesn’t make sense that this Parliament works without a budget and for committees to implement their programmed activities, they need the budget.
“This is what takes Parliament to the people and the diaspora. So, we are confident that we are going to get a supplementary budget for 2024. But we will also seek the authorization of the AU to mobilize more partnerships to boost the budget for active committee activities and programme budget.”
Vacant positions
The vacant positions of President, First Vice President, and Fourth Vice President of the Bureau, resulting from elections and unconstitutional changes of government in some AU Member States, will be filled under guidelines set by the AU Executive Council.
The Southern Caucus, Northern Caucus, and Central Caucus are expected to fill these positions, respectively, in line with the principle of rotation.
The PAP’s efforts to address its financial challenges and ensure the continuity of its operations reflect its commitment to promoting African unity and development.
The successful outcome of the Extraordinary Session and the securing of a supplementary budget will be crucial for the Parliament to fulfill its mandate effectively.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
