SA would host PAP in style
2004-03-18 13:37
Addis Ababa - When the Pan African Parliament (PAP) is inaugurated on Thursday one question remains unresolved: where are the headquarters to be situated?
Libya has withdrawn from the battle and at the upcoming leaders' summit either South Africa or Egypt will get the green light.
Libyan foreign minister Abdulrahman Shalgam says his country has no preference over who gets allocated the headquarters.
"Our concern is that it should be in Africa and we can't decide which country is more characteristic of Africa. The issue is about compromises."
Earlier Libya had been the only country offering to accommodate PAP, but later both South Africa and Egypt were asked to bid since some leaders voiced their concerns over the negative image that might be projected if a democratic institution such as PAP were to be located in Libya.
There is no national parliament in Libya and the country has been ruled by Colonel Muammar Gadaffi for the past 30 years.
The country had an appropriate building for PAP, but Shalgam says it is "at the disposal of the African Union (AU)."
Building is ready
"The building is ready and they can use it as seen fit."
Rumours circulating in AU circles has it that Libya withdrew since it would rather accommodate other AU structures such as the Central Bank.
Despite its undemocratic regime, Libya was nonetheless elected on Monday to the peace and security council.
South African parliament Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala said South Africa would not submit nominations for either PAP president or the four vice presidents, since this might compromise the country's bid to house the headquarters.
"It is neither democratic nor correct that one country should both house the headquarters and chair PAP," she said.
The five appointments are to filled by countries representing the five AU regions - Southern Africa, East Africa, North Africa, West Africa and Central Africa.
Building in Cairo
Egyptian delegates maintain a building is ready in Cairo to house PAP headquarters.
In South Africa a new building would have to be erected, but says Ginwala, a decision over where it should be situated can only be taken once the headquarters had been allocated to South Africa.
Ginwala believes South Africa is in with a good chance since it offers an opportunity to build a new building in "true African style".
"Our proposal is of a conceptual nature. Nowhere in Africa will you find a parliament building that is truly unique to Africa. You could pick them up and put them down somewhere else, even in Europe, and no one will notice the difference."
Ideally funds for the PAP building should be shared among all AU member countries, however, the host country is likely to bear some of the costs, Ginwala said.