Africa's parliamentarians must add beef to the pap

The author contends that the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) currently functions largely as a 'talk-shop' that endorses executive decisions rather than exercising its oversight potential. While the PAP has made recommendations on conflicts in Darfur, Congo, and Cote d’Ivoire, it has failed to scrutinize AU budgets or challenge election abuses in Zimbabwe. The document suggests the PAP should use the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to compel governments to implement national action plans and calls for a more representative selection process for its members to ensure democratic credibility.

• The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has failed to fully utilize its oversight function, often acting as an assembly that endorses executive decisions rather than investigating poor management at national and continental levels.
• The PAP has not fully leveraged the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM); the author suggests the PAP should compel MPs from reviewed countries to report on the implementation of national action plans during the five-year intervals between reviews.
• The PAP exhibits inconsistency in its courage to challenge executives, as evidenced by its silence regarding election guideline abuses in Zimbabwe's March election despite commending the prevention of an unconstitutional takeover in Togo.
• The process for selecting MPs to the PAP lacks democratic credibility in several instances, specifically citing the inclusion of representatives from Libya, which has no national assembly, and Uganda, described as effectively a one-party state.
• The PAP should expand its scrutiny to include the budgets of African Union (AU) organs, including the Peace and Security Council and the AU Commission, to reduce wastage and improve efficiency.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). Africa's parliamentarians must add beef to the pap. https://saiia.org.za/research/africas-parliamentarians-must-add-beef-to-the-pap/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Africa's parliamentarians must add beef to the pap. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/africas-parliamentarians-must-add-beef-to-the-pap/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Africa's parliamentarians must add beef to the pap |date=25 April 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/africas-parliamentarians-must-add-beef-to-the-pap/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008africas, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Africa's parliamentarians must add beef to the pap}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/africas-parliamentarians-must-add-beef-to-the-pap/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }