Africa-Press – Namibia. leader of the official opposition in the National Assembly McHenry Venaani is leading the charge to secure the Pan African Parliament (PAP) presidency for the southern African region.
He is the campaign manager for Zimbabwean politician Fortune Charumbira, who will be standing in the presidential election today at the PAP that is taking place in Johannesburg.
He will be up against, among others Albino Aboug from South Sudan and Malawian politician Yeremia Chihana, even though Charumbira is the official southern Africa caucus candidate.
The Namibian delegation includes Venaani, National Assembly deputy speaker Loide Kasingo, Landless People’s Movement leader Bernardus Swartbooi, Swapo member of parliament Gerhard Shiimi, National Assembly secretary Lydia Kandetu and National Council secretary Tousy Namiseb.
The African parliament is also set to elect new members of the bureau, permanent committees and adopt the programme of action for the rest of 2022.
The southern and northern African regions are pushing for the rotation of the presidency which has been dominated by eastern and western African regions since 2004.
Charumbira says if elected, he will be committed to the principle [of rotation] and undertakes to hand over the baton to northern Africa as soon as his term ends.
The presidential candidate, who was speaking recently at the southern African regional caucus strategic planning meeting, added that other key issues are to ensure the signing of the Malabo protocol and the revamping of the governance of PAP.
Yesterday Venaani said there are currently two matters under discussion at the parliament in which the African Union (AU) organs have been practising the principles of rotation.
“Rotation should be implemented at the African Union and the chairperson of the African Union has confirmed that the AU must present a rotational leadership to allow every region to own the presidency.
Venaani added that the northern and southern African regions never had a chance and must present candidates for the position of the presidency.
He noted that the presidency of the Southern African Development Community has been agreed upon by the southern African regions that appointed Charumbira as candidate.
“I am also appointed as the envoy and campaign manager for the southern region to lobby for his presidency. I was appointed for that position because of my strategic approach and I played a critical role in collapsing the last election,” he said.
Venaani added that they have been campaigning for a number of months across the region.
“We have been doing Zoom meetings and a number of activities to consolidate our position. We had critical meetings with the northern regions to give support to bring major countries such as Egypt and Algeria to come and agree on a common position,” Venaani added.
He said Charumbira is a very experienced leader of the Pan African Parliament who has served it since its inception in 2004 and chaired the committee audit.
“He was very experienced on that committee that helped to bring the book of this institution under check. He also led as vice president,” he said.
Venaani added that they want to consolidate Africa and make the Pan African Parliament a respectable parliament that works in the broader interest of the people.
Kasingo said the motion that was under discussion was to allow the rotation of presidents among the regions.
She confirmed that the southern and northern regions have never had a chance to be presidents of the Pan African Parliament.
“Our candidate for presidency for the southern region is chief Fortune Charumbira. Charumbira is an experienced candidate who is a founding member of the PAP since 2004 and he has occupied many positions within the parliament,” she said.
She added that in 2008, the protocol that established the Pan African Parliament did not have the term of presidency.
“Chief Charumbira will go to the Pan African Parliament to discuss the challenges that the African continent is facing. He held many positions and we believe in him and we have faith in him as well,” Kasingo said.
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