Dr Herminie supports regional parliament plan |17 April 2012

He said this upon his return from the last SADC parliamentary forum’s (PF) executive committee meeting held in Trou Aux Biches, Mauritius from April 12-13.

Approved by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in 1997, the SADC-PF – which is a consultative body – was created after a meetings held to set up a regional body of parliaments and its members.

The main aim of the forum is to “constitute a parliamentary consultative assembly, the ultimate goal being to create a regional parliamentary framework for dialogue on issues of regional interest and concern”.

As part of its main capacity building activities, the SADC-PF also gives training to parliamentarians (MPs) and parliament staff. The SADC-PF has helped to train Seychellois members of the National Assembly and its staff.

At the meeting, the executive committee strongly resolved to pursue the goal of changing the SADC-PF into a SADC regional parliament which would give MPs the necessary platform to discuss issues affecting the region, thus strengthening good governance in the region. Dr Herminie added that as a legislative body, the SADC regional parliament will also oversee the work of SADC countries’ governments and make them more accountable.

Other issues discussed were the recent restructuring of the SADC-PF secretariat as well as how to raise more money to support the programmes run by the secretariat in member countries.

The executive committee also discussed the May 2012 elections in Lesotho.
It was agreed to send an observer mission to Lesotho in line with the SADC- PF’s new strategy of being more proactive in observing elections in SADC countries.
The committee also discussed the administrative rules and regulations which give the framework under which the staff of the SADC- PF work so as to make the organisation more efficient and effective.

The meeting was attended by presiding officers or speakers and MPs from Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Dr Herminie also paid a courtesy call on the speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius Rajkeswur Purryag.