SADC Parliament to Focus On Political, Socio-Economic Matters

9 June 2011

Lubango — The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Parliament once in place should focus mainly on making laws on social, economic and political sphere.

This was proposed Wednesday in Lubango, southern Huila province, by Mozambique, during the ongoing 29th session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum that opened on Monday under the motto “Towards SADC Regional Parliament”.

In its report to the session, Mozambique reiterates that the transformation of the Forum into the SADC Parliament must be ratified by the heads of State and Government of the member countries attending the meeting.

It also suggests that the organ facilitates the discussion of reports from the community focusing on respect for human rights, promotion of good governance and approval of regional laws.

As to the composition of the body, Mozambique defends equality in rights and immunities among the Parliament’s full right members, alike in other institutions of the community.

According to the suggestion, the Parliament should be headed by a permanent commission and that its revenues should come from member countries contributions.

Mozambique considers as fundamental that social, economic and political stability prevails in the SADC member countries, for the success of the Parliament whose principles are being discussed at Thursday’s plenary session.

The SADC Parliamentary Forum was established on September 8, 1997, during the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Windhoek, Namibia.

Established in 1980 by nine of the current 14 members states of the Southern Africa Development Community, the regional organisation groups Angola, Botswana, Leshoto, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzânia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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