By: Olu Ibekwe
The President of the
Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H. E. Senator Chief Fortune
Charumbira who reclaimed his mandate following the election conducted
on 25 March 2024, addressed a press conference thereafter where he stressed the
need to restore the image of the PAP which took a plunge during the crisis.
Recall that Hon.
Chief Charumbira won the election by securing 127 votes out of the 166
Members of the Parliament (MPs) who were accredited to take part in the
election. The election recorded 37 negative votes with 2 blank votes and could
be said to have sent a clear message regarding Chief Charumbira’s acceptability
by the members of the parliament, contrary to the false impression of
unpopularity created by his detractors.
Speaking during the
press conference, Hon. Chief Charumbira regretted the events
of the past few months which adversely affected the image of PAP and advised
that the Pan-African Parliament must henceforth conduct its business in a
manner that builds confidence with the African citizens.
“We have too many
elections. This results in a lot of acrimony, a lot of fighting and other
things that I may not mention in public” said Chief Charumbira. He
observed that between August 2023 and the 25 March 2023, various unprocedural
methods were employed to tarnish the image of honest and decent members of the
Parliament in the name trying to effect a change in the leadership the
Parliament.
It would be recalled
that PAP Bureau election was held on 29 June 2022 following resolution of the
crisis that resulted from disagreement on the implementation of rotational
presidency. The disagreement led the suspension of parliamentary activities for
a year. And although the three-year tenure of the Bureau that emerged from that
election was supposed to expire in June 2025, PAP was nonetheless thrown into
another leadership crisis that eventually culminated in the 25 March 2024
election.
After all the acrimony,
crisis, disruptions and campaign related expenses, Chief
Charumbira reclaimed his office as the President of the Parliament
with more that 75% of the votes cast while the First Vice President, Prof.
Massouda Laghdaf was returned unopposed. At the end, we should ask
ourselves whether that election was indeed, necessary.
Undoubtedly, these
frequent and if I may add, unnecessary elections have adverse effect on
leadership stability. Leadership instability in turn, affects various aspects
of the Parliament’s administrative, legislative effectiveness, and public trust
as observed by Chief Charumbira. Another negative consequence of
frequent elections is the potential for information pollution arising out of
the electioneering process.
Leadership instability
led to the disruption of PAP’s legislative agenda and parliamentary
proceedings. The suspension of the amended Rules of Procedure of the Parliament
and the subsequent declaration of vacancy in the offices of the President and
First Vice President coupled with the coup in Gabon that affected the Fourth
Vice President rendered the Bureau inquorate. This led to confusion in
decision-making, difficulties in prioritizing legislative initiatives, and
challenges in maintaining continuity in policy formulation and implementation.
It also led to the
erosion of public confidence and trust in both the PAP and its internal
democratic processes. The perception of frequent contestations for leadership
positions has inevitably led to skepticism, disillusionment, and decreased
public trust in the ability of parliamentarians to represent the interests of
the African people as well as address the challenges facing the continent.
The period between
August 2023 and February 2024 can aptly be described as a period of political
polarization and gridlock within the parliament. In
such a fragmented political landscape, it became challenging to build
consensus, negotiate compromises, and foster cooperation among the different
political interests, leading to deadlock. Fortunately, the February 2024
decision of the Executive Council and the election held on 25 March 2024
brought an end to the political impasse.
Consequently, as PAP
returns to normalcy, steps should be taken to address the causes of recurring
leadership instability and crisis in the institution. The suspended amendments
to the Rules of Procedure should, as a matter of priority, be revisited and identified
shortcomings addressed. Efforts to promote stability, continuity, and effective
administration should be vigorously pursued with unity of purpose. Issues
surrounding the actualization and giving effect to the three-year tenure of the
Bureau should be properly codified in the Rules so that we can expect that
Bureau election will be held once in every three years.
Losing national
parliamentary election as opposed to going for national parliamentary election
should be the determining factor in the consideration of what constitutes the
“cessation of membership of PAP”. The requirements of Rule 6(5) of the Rules of
Procedure on the conditions precedent to a declaration of vacancy in the seat
of a member of the parliament should be elaborated and properly codified.
Leadership transition processes should also be clarified and strengthened to
prevent any parliamentarian from hijacking the leadership of the parliament
without due process as witnessed in August 2023.
Additionally, the Bureau
should consider organizing leadership training workshops and support, as well
as take steps aimed at fostering collaboration and consensus-building among the
political interests, and strive to imbibe a culture of accountability,
transparency, and institutional resilience.
On Hon. Chief
Charumbira’s admonition that the Pan-African Parliament should conduct
its business in a manner that builds confidence with the African citizens, I
suggest that PAP should seriously address the issue of information pollution
during campaigns for Bureau elections so as to avoid the kind of viciousness
associated with the last election.
Information pollution
refers to the proliferation of misleading, false, or biased information that
can distort public discourse, influence voter behavior, and undermine the
integrity of the electoral process. It encompasses various forms of
misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and manipulation tactics that aim
to deceive, manipulate, or mislead voters for political gain.
Arguably, there were
instances of information pollution in the processes leading to the 25 March
election which leaves much to be desired. There should be decorum and mutual
respect during such campaigns as parliamentarians.
Both the code of conduct
for members of the parliament and the Rules of Procedure should be amended to
address the issue of false or fabricated news stories, articles, and headlines
designed to deceive and create false narratives. Deliberate efforts to spread
false or misleading information with the intent to deceive or manipulate public
perception should receive appropriate sanctions. Also, negative
campaigning tactics that rely on misinformation, character attacks, and smear
campaigns to discredit opponents, tarnish reputations, and sway preferences
should be proscribed by the Rules.
Finally, as observed
by Chief Charumbira, PAP should engage in deliberate efforts
aimed at restoring its battered image. In this regard, PAP should aggressively
build positive relationships with media organizations and journalists by
providing accurate information, facilitating media access to parliamentary
proceedings including committee sittings, and engaging in transparent
communication. It should encourage and promote open parliament principles,
fact-checking, and balanced coverage of its activities. It should enhance its
collaboration and cooperation with the African Parliamentary Press Network
(APPN) to enhance its credibility and visibility on the continent.
The Parliament should
seriously consider establishing a parliamentary subcommittee on Information and
Media Relations which should assist it in coordinating and promoting its
relationship with the media and its other external stakeholders.
Finally, PAP needs to
take steps to foster constructive engagement with civil
society organizations, advocacy groups, and grassroots movements to solicit
feedback, address public concerns, and promote participatory democracy. The
Parliament may wish to collaborate with African Parliamentary Monitoring
Organizations Network (APMON) on legislative initiatives, policy development,
and oversight activities. The relationship should be developed to a level where
APMON is empowered to play the role of an external support mechanism for PAP
especially during crisis situations.
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