PAP Opening Session: South Africa reiterates support as new members are sworn-in (See photos)

The Second Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament was on Monday, declared open with the Government of the Republic of South Africa reiterating its commitment to provide all the necessary support to facilitate the work of the Parliament.

Hon. Candith Mashego-Dhlamini, the Deputy Minister in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation stated that the South African Government is especially encouraged by the deliberations of the PAP on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and its specific focus on the significant role that the Pan-African Parliamentarians could play in its acceleration.

The President of the PAP, H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira had earlier administered the oath of office to new parliamentarians from Botswana, Cameroun, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar and Somalia following elections in a number of African States and rotation within delegations.

Article 4 of the Protocol establishing the PAP requires that each member state be represented in the Pan-African Parliament by five members, at least one of whom must be a woman. The PAP Protocol also requires that the representation of each member state must reflect the diversity of political opinions in each National Parliament or deliberative organ. Article 5 of the Protocol requires that the Pan African Parliamentarians shall be elected or designated by the National Parliaments or other deliberative organ of the Member States.