PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION ARRIVES IN GHANA.

The Pan-African Parliament Observer Mission (PAP) to the 2008 Ghanaian Presidential and Parliamentary elections for December 7 has arrived today in the country following the invitation extended to them by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Speaking At a welcome press conference, the Interim Mission Leader Jatta Fabakary Tombong said the vision of PAP is to provide a common platform for African people and their grass roots organizations to be more involved in discussions and decision making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. Outlining some activities of the mission during the election season, he said observers will be briefed by Ghanaian Electoral stakeholders tomorrow and members of the mission will be deployed throughout all the regions of Ghana to meet electoral stakeholders including electoral officers, civil society organizations and representatives of political parties and the media on the 4th December. Mr. Tombong further added that, on the day of election PAP members will observe voting and counting at the polling stations. Members will return back to Accra on the 8th December to attend a debriefing session and asses the electoral process to that point. A final interim assessment will be delivered at a press conference in Accra on 9th December and members will depart the following day. The mission is composed of twenty two parliamentarians from all five African regions and supported by eleven members of staff form the PAP secretariat and the Electoral Institute of South Africa causing reduction in human resource due to lack of commitment. The Objective of the Pan African Parliament is to: promote the principles of human rights and democracy in Africa, encouraging good governance, transparency and accountability in member states and promoting peace, security and stability. The Head of the mission Hon.Janguo Mishehe A. Saidi will arrive tomorrow according to the interim leader. The Mission which is based at the African Regent Hotel in Accra has its headquarters in Mirdrand, South Africa. The Pan African Parliament was established in March 2004 by article 17 of the constitutive act of the African union as one of the nine organs provided for in establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja, Nigeria in 1991.

BY: MICHAEL FATHER AMEDOR