By now, it is no secret that the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is working very hard to reclaim its place as the third organ of the African Union in the order of hierachy. This week, the legislative organ successfully pressed ahead in its attempts to woo the African Ambassadors who form the advisory committee to the Executive Council of the Union.
In a joint retreat held from 19 to 20 December 2022 in Johannesburg South Africa, the two parties interrogated the challenges that have affected the PAP in the effective execution of its mandate within the African Union institutional architecture. The initiative clearly came with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat’s full knowledge and blessing.
There was a heavy emphasis on administrative issues that have been undermining the sustainability of the institution, issues that can be “easily remedied” as the Zimbabwean Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira said during his run for PAP Presidency. These are namely, AU and PAP budget, organizational structure, staffing, and status of Parliamentarians in relation to compensation, benefits, and entitlement within the African Union.
In addressing core issues, the PAP also shared with the PRC its tangible achievements and ongoing reforms that have revived and sanitized the institution. The PRC being an advisory body to the Executive Council, considers the AU’s program and budget, makes recommendations to the Executive Council and monitors the implementation of the AU Budget.
In his presentation, Hon. Mohammed Mubaraka Muntaka, Chairperson of the PAP Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs said the PAP budget has diminished continuously since 2016. “In 2016 the total PAP budget was about USD36 million. That budget has been reduced to less than USD11 million for 2023,” said Hon. Muntaka. According to Hon. Muntaka, the AU’s budget has grown substantially over the last seven or eight years, while that of the PAP has shrunk, making it extremely difficult to hold parliamentary sessions, partake in missions, and fund committee activities.
The oppotune meeting comes as the PAP seeks to salvage its image after a series of acrimonious events that saw the PAP going from being the blue-eyed child of the Union upon its founding in 2004, to being a neglected orphan faced with diplomatic and institutional isolation while hanging on a shoestring budget.
The PAP has struck a noticeably different tone for the past 6 months since the election and appointment of a new Bureau. The PAP President H.E. Chief Charumbira who rode on a campaign promise to address institutional challenges within the PAP itself and also the working relationship with its erstwhile and possibly future allies within other organs of the AU, has been credited by the PRC for refocusing the institution’s strategic objectives.
