By Zimtimes correspondent
Hon. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira has been re-elected as President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) during the recent Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament. He secured 127 votes as the sole candidate from the Southern African Region.After previously serving as President from June 2022 to August 2023, Chief Charumbira temporarily stepped down to participate in Zimbabwe’s General Elections to renew his term as Senator. Under the current PAP Rules of Procedures, a parliamentarian’s term aligns with that of their national parliament or any other deliberative body that elected them.In his post-re-election address to PAP members, Hon. Chief Charumbira expressed his commitment to “Revive, Renew, Reposition, and Reinvigorate the Pan-African Parliament.” Hon. Prof. Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf from Mauritania retained her position as the First Vice President of the PAP during the recent by-elections, representing the Northern Africa Caucus. She received 149 votes for her re-election.Additionally, Hon. Djidda Mamar Mahamat from Chad has assumed the role of the Fourth Vice President, representing the Central African Region, after securing 153 votes.The primary focus of the recently concluded Extraordinary Session was to address the vacancies in the PAP Bureau, particularly the positions of President, First Vice President, and Fourth Vice President, which had remained vacant due to elections and unconstitutional changes of government in certain African Union Member States.The election process was monitored by the African Union Commission in accordance with the resolutions of the 44th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council held in Addis Ababa from February 14th to 15th, 2024. The 44th Ordinary Session of Africa’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs assigned the Office of the Legal Counsel of the Union the task of developing guidelines for the by-elections to ensure transparency and independence.Charumbira, who is Zimbabwe’s deputy president of the Chiefs Council, secured 127 votes as the exclusive candidate from the Southern African region. He faced no opposition after being nominated to represent the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in a contest against Miles Sampa from Zambia.Although Charumbira emerged as the favored candidate, Sampa also competed for the top position. Recently, Christian Greeff, a legislator from Botswana, filed a petition with the South African High Court to halt the extraordinary session of PAP.Charumbira assumed the role of PAP President following his victory in the 2023 elections. However, his membership was legally terminated when he temporarily ceased to be a legislator due to the dissolution of the Zimbabwean parliament for the August general elections.As a politician holding a seat in Zimbabwe’s Senate through a quota designated for traditional leaders, Charumbira initially became PAP President in 2022.The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament, serves as the legislative body of the African Union and aims to promote unity, democracy, and development across the continent.
