The Commission of the African Union Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat has announced that the principle of rotation will govern the upcoming Pan-African Parliament (PAP) elections this Wednesday. The African Union leader made this announcement on Tuesday, at the opening of the African Parliament’s 5th ordinary session being held at the institution’s headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.
The legislative body of the African Union is expected to elect its new Bureau after last year’s elections were disputed over rules regarding regional rotation of the body’s presidential seat.
The AU commissioner persuaded the African parliamentarians to allow the principle of rotation to prevail in the spirit of fairness. “The rotation doesn’t mean you want to put aside the legal instruments that are enforced, but we have to be objective to solve the problem which has become unbearable,” he said.
“I want to be clear and sincere with you all. It is regrettable the protocol establishing rotation has not entered into force because of a lack of the required number of ratifications. From the legal point of view, it is obviously not effective,” said Mahamat.
