AFRICAN PARLIAMENT ASKED TO DEAL WITH UNLAWFUL REGIME CHANGE

By Godfrey Olukya 10-5-2013

The Head of the African Union Commission, Dr. Dlamini Zuma has appealed to the Pan African Parliament to address issues that lead to unconstitutional changes of governments on the continent.

While delivering the State of the African Union Address to the Pan African Parliament in Kampala, at Uganda parliament last evening, Dr. Dlamini Zuma said, ‘There are still challenges of  governance in Africa including unconstitutional changes of governments in form of coups, vote rigging and holding less than credible elections.’

Without mentioning countries where these have happened Dr. Zuma also sighted rebellions which often suspend democratic institutions including
parliaments.

Zuma said that the continent cannot have a strong Pan African Parliament(PAP) if democracy is truncated and democratically elected governments are removed through unconstitutional means.

She added it is therefore incumbent upon members of the PAP to ensure that the fundamental causes of unconstitutional changes of government are
addressed on the continent by promoting the rule of law and human rights.

Meanwhile PAP conference is seating at Munyonyo Resort Hotel in the outskirts of Kampala. Most countries on African continent have been represented at the continent.

In the past, several governments in Africa have been unconstitutionally taken over. The recently overthrown government in Africa is the Central African Republic, where the ruling regime was taken over by Seleka fighters.

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