The
Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Committee on Rules, Privileges
and Discipline, Hon. Thembekile Richard
Majola (South Africa) has expressed appreciation to the PNAfrica for its
advocacy for the development of an Africa Open Parliament Index.
This
followed recommendations for PAP to consider setting up a benchmark for
Parliamentary Openness as a model framework to be adopted by African
Parliaments towards an Open Parliament Agenda. Hon. Majola promised to
have continuous interaction with PNAfrica going forward on the subject matter.
“I
will seriously look at your three recommendations. That is very important when
we deal with the issue of reviewing our rules …Thank you so much for your time
and presentation and I strongly believe that this is not the last time for you
to be here. If we need you we will call you to come and make another
presentation,” the Chairman said.
In
a presentation to the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline, titled “Open
Parliament and the Pan African Parliament” the Executive Director of Parliamentary
Network Africa (PNAfrica), Mr. Sammy
Obeng, urged the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to consider setting up a
benchmark for Parliamentary Openness as a model framework to be adopted by
African Parliaments towards an Open Parliament Agenda.
The
presentation was made on Thursday at the sidelines of the ongoing PAP August
Committee Sittings at Midrand, South Africa.
As
a leading voice on the campaign for Open Parliament on the continent, Mr. Sammy Obeng urged the Committee to
recommend to the Pan African Parliament to lead by example in adopting open
parliament principles within its own processes and practices, including
measures to improve its accountability to the Africa people. He said this
was important because, the establishment of PAP is informed by a vision to
provide a common platform for African peoples on the Continent and in the Diaspora,
and their grassroots organizations to be more involved in discussions and
decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the Continent.
“PAP
may consider developing a Benchmark on Open Parliament to be used by Member
States and Regional Economic Communities Parliaments, and further leverage its
relationships with these Parliaments as envisaged in Article 19 of the PAP
Protocol, to ensure that Consultative Fora on the subject of Open Parliaments
are held with these regional and national Parliamentary bodies.
According
to him, “Strengthening the PAP, Parliaments of Regional Economic Communities
and National Parliaments in parliamentary openness, will effectively ensure the
full participation of the African peoples in the economic development and
integration of the Continent as envisioned by the PAP Protocol.”
The
other recommendations made by Mr. Sammy
Obeng to the PAP include, “Undertake the ongoing revision of its Rules of
Procedure through Open Parliament lenses. This requires ensuring that the Rules
will further enhance access to the PAP and information emanating from the
Parliament, ensure maximum accountability from Pan-African Parliamentarians and
the PAP Institution to the people of Africa, and put citizens understanding and
participation in PAP’s work at the center of everything PAP does.
“Develop
an Open Parliament Action Plan through a co-creation process with civil
society. The existence of the Pan-African Parliament Civil Society Platform,
the African Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations Network (APMON) and the
African Parliamentary Press Network will be useful in getting PAP to work with
civil society to create, implement and publicize actions on openness.
“PAP
should encourage Parliaments of the Regional Economic Communities and in Member
States to do same, as civil society working and engaging parliaments are
available to collaborate at national and regional levels. APMON is ready to
work with the PAP and other stakeholders to facilitate these engagements.
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