The leader of Zimbabwe’s Council of Chief was elected president of the Pan African Parliament in polls held at the continental legislature in South Africa on Wednesday.
Fortune Charumbira received 161 of the 203 votes. There were 31 abstentions and 11 spoilt ballots.
The Zimbabwean’s candidature was sponsored by the Southern African Development Community and he becomes the person from the region to be voted PAP president.
Speaking soon after the election, Charumbira said he would want to transform the PAP so that it properly discharges its mandate.
“PAP needs to be reformed. There are a lot of issues affecting MPs,” Charumbira said.
He added: “We need to accept this fact and my presidency will seek to deepen the understanding as to why PAP has not performed, and I will work with all of you.”
The run-up to the polls was characterised by regional politics, with the SADC region insisting that it was its time to lead the continental body since the other African regions have had their candidates leading the organisation in the past.
Charumbira occupies a seat in Zimbabwe’s senate reserved for traditional chiefs and has been vice president of the PAP Bureau since October 2018, representing the southern African region.
JN/APA