PAP Opening Session: President Assoumani commits to supporting PAP

Chairperson of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) and President of the Union of Comoros, H.E. Azali Assoumani has committed to supporting the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to realize its mandate as a legislative organ of the Union.

Provided for by Article 6 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Assembly of the Union is composed of Heads of State and Government of member states and is the supreme organ of the Union. President Assoumani was elected in February 2023 at the last AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will hole office for a period of one year.

He was speaking as a Guest of Honour at the opening of the Second Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the PAP, which runs from Monday 15 May to June 2 at the seat of the Parliament in Midrand, South Africa, under the AU theme for 2023: “Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”.

President Assoumani promised to give the Parliament, the necessary support to accomplish her mission and promised to strengthen PAP to make it more efficient, effective and visible to the people of Africa.

“I will do everything in my power, during my term of office, to provide you with the necessary support and assistance, with a view to achieving your objectives of peace, stability, development and strengthening of democracy and the state of rights, in Africa, of the ideals shared by our Organization continental,” said H.E Assoumani

“I am aware of your commitment and your determination to work in favor of the defense of the interests of the African peoples as our continental legislators. I would like to assure all of you here present, of my firm commitment to work in close collaboration, with all countries and all institutions and organizations, including the PAP, for more peace and progress, in our continent and across the world as a whole. Our common duty, as you all know, is to help our organisation achieve the objectives it has set itself set out in its Agenda 2063.”

H.E Assoumani also expressed happiness at the presence of the majority of the members of parliament.

“I am delighted to see your large presence at the opening of this session. This testifies to the interest that you bring to the relations of solidarity and fraternity which constitute the very substance of our continental organization.”

He further encouraged African legislators to help establish appropriate conditions, to promote socio-economic development in the continent.

H.E Assoumani decried the conflict in Sudan especially its adverse inherent consequences on the neighbouring and disclosed that he had established contact with the parties in the conflict. He concluded by stating that the African continent has a great future notwithstanding its challenges.