Committee Report on Pan-African Parliament

Pan-African Parliament (NA)

30 October 2000
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Meeting report

AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY)
30 October 2000
ADOPTION OF REPORT

Document handed out:
Report of the Committee on the Pan-African Parliament (see Appendix 1)

Chairperson: Mr D Hanekom (ANC)

SUMMARY
The Committee considered its report on the Pan-African Parliament and agreed on certain technical amendments. Since the Committee could not form a quorum, the report was adopted by consensus.

MINUTES
The Chairperson said the Committee was mandated to prepare a report on the proposed formation of the Pan-African Parliament. He said the Committee had met on 24 October and considered a draft Protocol to the Treaty establishing the Pan-African Parliament and had agreed on guidelines. He then gave over to Ms G Mhlangu (ANC) to read the report before the Committee for consideration by members (see appendix for report).

Mr C Nqakula (ANC) said in clause 2(2) it said the Parliament should be composed of eight members from each Member State. Then it goes on to say each country should be represented in the Pan-African Parliament by a delegation in equal numbers. He said this seems to be an unnecessary repetition. It was agreed to delete the part that reads "Each country should be represented in the Pan-African Parliament by a delegation of equal numbers".

The Chairperson said in clause 2(4) after the words "should run", the word "concurrently" should be added. This was agreed to.

The Chairperson proposed that the words, "and Government" in clause 2(6) should be deleted but that they would still need to look at the wording of the Protocol to see what it says.

Mr Jeffery (ANC) said clause 2(7) is covered in 2(2) but might have been included in the report as a point of emphasis. He suggested instead a formulation to say direct election of members of the Pan-African Parliament would not be appropriate, to make the clause clearer. This was agreed to.

In clause 2(8) it was agreed that reference should be to "Vice-Presidents" as it was agreed that the Parliament would have four Vice-Presidents.

In clause 2(9) it was agreed to include "not less than" after the words "at intervals of".

The Chairperson felt that the political parties were generally in consensus about the report but that the Committee could not adopt the report as there was no quorum.

Mr Jeffery suggested that other members could be called in even if they do not belong to the Committee for purposes of forming a quorum to adopt the report, particularly since there was no disagreement on it.

Mr Nqakula said there is nothing preventing the Committee from adopting the report by consensus. This was agreed to and the report was adopted with the proposed amendments.

The Chairperson said he would communicate the decision of the Committee on the report to the NCOP Committee. He said an arrangement with the Whips would be sought on circulating the amended report to political parties that were not represented, requesting them to communicate any objections urgently to the Committee Clerk (the only opposition party in attendance was the UDM). The meeting was adjourned.

Appendix 1:
COMMITTEE REPORTS:

National Assembly:
Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Pan-African Parliament dated 30 October 2000:

1. The Ad Hoc Committee on Pan African Parliament was established by resolution of the National Assembly on 19 September 2000, to consider the proposed formation of a Pan-African Parliament. The Committee was formally constituted on 28 September 2000.

2. The Committee considered a draft Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating the Pan-African Parliament, limited its discussions issues of principle, and agreed on the following guidelines:

(1) The Pan-African Parliament should be a deliberative body, without any law-making powers.
(2) The Pan-African Parliament should be composed of eight members from each Member State, appointed each national Parliament from its ranks, on the basis of broad representivity, with a minimum of three women members. Each country should be represented in the Pan-African Parliament by a delegation in equal numbers.
(3) Members of the Pan-African Parliament should represent the views of their respective Parliaments.
(4) The term of each Pan-African parliamentarian should run [concurrently] with his or her term in the national Parliament concerned.
(5) Some general objectives of the Pan-African Parliament should be inserted in the draft Protocol.
(6) The seat of the Pan-African Parliament should be determined by the Assembly of the Heads of State Government of the African Union.
(7) Direct elections of Pan-African parliamentarians would not be appropriate.
(8) The procedure for the election of the President the Vice-Presidents should be specifically stated the Protocol.
(9) Review of the Protocol should take place at intervals of [not less than] five years.

Report to be considered.

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