The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has a fully functioning leadership team once again following a successful Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament. Chief Fortune Charumbira of Zimbabwe was re-elected president, receiving unanimous support from the Southern African Region.
Chief Charumbira previously held the position from June 2022 until August 2023. He stepped down to participate in Zimbabwe’s general elections, where he secured another term as senator. PAP rules dictate that a member’s term aligns with their national parliamentary term.
In his victory speech, Chief Charumbira emphasized his commitment to his four-point plan of “Revive, Renew, Reposition, and Reinvigorate the Pan-African Parliament.”
The elections also filled the vacancies for the first fourthurth Vice President. Professor Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf (Mauritania) reclaimed the First Vice President position for the Northern Africa Caucus, while Djidda Mamar Mahamat (Chad) assumed the Fourth Vice President role, representing Central Africa.
This extraordinary session specifically addressed the vacant leadership positions after recent elections and political developments in some member states disrupted the PAP’s functioning. The African Union Commission oversaw the elections, ensuring transparency and independence as per guidelines developed by the Office of the Legal Counsel.
The newly constituted PAP Bureau is as follows:
- President: H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira (Zimbabwe) – Southern Africa
- 1st Vice President: Hon. Prof. Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf (Mauritania) – Northern Africa
- 2nd Vice President: Hon. Dr. Ashebir Woldegiorgis Gayo (Ethiopia) – Eastern Africa
- 3rd Vice President: Hon. Lucia Dos Passos (Cabo Verde) – Western Africa
- 4th Vice President: Hon. Djidda Mamar Mahamat (Chad) – Central Africa
