PAP’s Clerk urged to refrain from issuing communications on Bureau elections

The African Union (AU) has urged the Clerk of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Mr. Vipya Harawa to refrain from “issuing communication of any kind related to the upcoming bureau elections”.

This was contained in a letter CCP/O/1047/10.21 dated October 29, 2021 and signed by Mr. Ratebaye Tordeta, Deputy Chief of Staff to the AUC Chairperson.

Mr. Harawa had issued a memo PAP/OC/126/21 dated October 26, 2021 on proposed modalities of the application of the Decision EX.CL/1294(XXXIX) on the Report on the incident on the Pan African Parliament.

It would be recalled that the 39^th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (Council) instructed the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) “to conduct and manage the upcoming PAP elections process and elaborate the elections modalities within the established Rules and Regulations of the Union and the relevant Executive Council decisions on the principle of rotation”. The Executive Council also called upon “the Parliamentarians and the PAP Secretariat to project the best image of the Union”.

The letter noted that since the decisions of the Council adopted at its 39^th Ordinary Session “including the decision pertaining to the PAP are yet to be authenticated and published. As such, the decisions have not been officially transmitted to all Member States, other organs of the Union and the RECs. The Clerk’s communication sent to the OLC on the basis of the said Council decision was considered to be untimely”.

“The Executive Council charged the OLC to elaborate elections modalities and manage upcoming elections of PAP. Hence drafting the modalities of election is not the mandate of the Clerk nor that of the PAP Secretariat. If need be, the OLC would liaise with the Secretariat on the conduct of elections and related logistical issues in line with the Executive Council decision, it is to be recalled that the Executive Council directed the Commission and not PAP Secretariat”.

“Your previous communications on issues of election and hosting of the PAP session had attracted criticisms from member states. Therefore, in order to ensure smooth and peaceful elections, you are urged to refrain from issuing communication of any kind related to upcomingelections”.

“Accordingly, I hereby notify you that the OLC will be taking the lead in the preparation and conduct of the upcoming PAP election in line with the Executive Council decision. You are also advised to await a formal communication from the Commission on the possible support they might seek from the Secretariat and furthermore to refrain from issuing any communication in relation to the upcoming election unless otherwise authorized”.