The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Martin Ngoga, has made a strong case for transformation of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) into a fully-fledged continental legislative body.

This, he said, is to effectively ensure participatory decision-making and enhance accountability at the AU level.

Ngoga stressed this Thursday, March 18, during the launch of the Pan-African Parliament Day, to commemorate the inauguration of the first Parliament of the PAP, 17 years ago.

Since its inception, the PAP has been granted consultative, advisory and budgetary oversight powers within the African Union (AU). 

Ngoga said: "It is our considered point of view that it may be very difficult to ensure full participation of the African peoples in the formulation and implementation of AU’s agenda through consultative and advisory powers as an Assembly."

Therefore, he added, the first milestone registered by the PAP was the adoption of the Malabo protocol by the 2014 AU Assembly on the extension of the powers of the PAP to transform it into a fully-fledged legislative organ.

"Though the PAP has not yet been transformed, the importance of that protocol and the recognition that the African continent needs a continental legislature should not be over-emphasized."

Like any other institution, Ngoga said, the PAP is faced with a number of challenges that should be addressed for the AU and the entire African continent to realize its development agenda.

One of the challenges is related to the weak institutional set up as the PAP remains without full legislative powers. 

"Until the Malabo protocol on transformation of the PAP into a fully-fledged legislative organ of the AU is ratified and implemented, the decision-making of the AU would remain largely top-down instead of using the much-desired bottom-up approach for the peoples of Africa to effectively participate, through their ably representatives, in finding appropriate solutions to their challenges."

The second challenge he noted is the weak awareness of the peoples of Africa on the existing opportunities to engage with PAP lawmakers who are tasked to voice their concerns and advocate for prioritization of life-impactful programmes at the African continental level.

There are also many other challenges where the role of PAP should be felt the most, Ngiga said, pointing to issues that include ongoing conflicts, internal displacement and refugees, xenophobic violence against Africans in some other African countries, and above all, poverty alleviation.

The PAP shares the same objective with the East African Legislative Assembly and other regional parliamentary bodies which represent respective sub-regional levels.