Africa-Press – Angola. Angola reaffirmed, this Thursday, in Addis Ababa, its position in favor of maintaining Zimbabwe in the presidency of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), whose mandate was interrupted by the last general elections of 2023, this country in southern Africa.
This position was announced by the president of the National Group of the National Assembly with the PAP, deputy Manuel Augusto, who is in the Ethiopian capital following the work of the 44th ordinary session of the Executive Council (EC) of the African Union (AU), which has been running since Wednesday.
According to the parliamentarian, the leadership crisis in the PAP is one of the issues under discussion at the EC meeting, as part of the preparation for the 37th Ordinary Summit of heads of State and Government, scheduled for this weekend, in Addis Ababa.
He explained that the Pan-African legislative body has been without a president since August 2023, when Zimbabwe’s mandate was interrupted due to a legal rule that determines the end of its members’ functions with the dissolution of their country’s Parliament due to elections.
Therefore, he continued, resolving this issue through filling the vacancy requires changing the rule in question, which, in turn, requires a position from the Assembly of Heads of State of the African Union.
He highlighted that, to fill the vacancy, Angola argues that Southern Africa must continue, through Zimbabwe, in the presidency of the PAP until the end of the current term, with this country being responsible for nominating the deputy who will occupy the post.
According to Manuel Augusto, there is another current that argues that Southern Africa can remain in the presidency, but not necessarily through Zimbabwe.
The National Assembly Group with the PAP is made up of five deputies, three from the MPLA and two from UNITA, including Adalberto Costa Júnior, who is also in Addis Ababa.
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