SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Addis Ababa, 20/03/2004 (SPS) The President of the Parliament, Mahfoud Ali Beiba, accompanied by five Saharawi parliament members, took part in the 18th March at Addis Ababa, to the launching of the first Pan African Parliament, indicated a source close to the Saharawi Parliament.

Under the auspices of South African Parliament's President, Mrs. Yenwala, the meeting of the directing committee took place with the presence of ten African countries (SADR, Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon, Libya, Mali, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Togo).

The five Saharawi parliament's members designated to the membership of the new African Parliament had already participated to the meeting of their regional group (Northern Africa), during which they co-proposed, with Libya, two candidates of their sub-region for the vice-presidency of the African Parliament and for the membership of the commissions of budget, internal regulations, members' confirmation and Foreign Affairs.

It should be recalled that the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is a founding member of the African Union. It was elected as one of the vice-presidents of the Pan African Union when the latter succeeded to the AUO in July 2001 during the summit Durban (South Africa). (SPS)

010/ZTE/110/TRD 202345 Mar 04 SPS