Creation of SADC parliament needed, says Kassoma

Angolan National Assembly Speaker, António Paulo Kassoma, has reiterated the need to set up a Parliament at the level of Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Speaker said so while addressing an opening ceremony of Workshop on SADC Parliamentary Forum organised by the National Assembly in Luanda. According to Paulo Kassoma, similar to different African geopolitical sub-regions, the Southern Africa also longed for a regional parliamentary institution that would replace the referred forum. Therefore, he said, this justified the holding of 29th Plenary Assembly of SADC-PF under the slogan "Heading for Regional Parliament". According to him, the occasion would allow the Southern Africa parliamentarians to reflect on the historical and political process that would lead to the implementation of a more comprehensive parliamentary structure. To the speaker, that interest would deeply be discussed, taking into account the existence of different opinions.

Kassoma also said the SADC member States faced different realities and challenges, but they acted in the context of agreement and strategies leading to a progressive and realistic regional integration based on projects and policies in different fields. In his speech, the National Assembly head also stressed the SADC-PF work focussed on strengthening of the regional democratic institutions, the capacity building of MPs and step up of initiatives in the context of the standardization of legislation of the member countries, as example of Model Law on HIV/AIDS. He also spoke of the intervention in activities of electoral observation in the region-based countries, the promotion of policies of the kind, whose Gender and Development Declaration of SADC was approved by the Angolan Parliament for its ratification.
Apart from MPs, the event also gathers SADC ambassadors represented in Angola, government officials and university students. (angop)