/ 13 March 2000

PARLY TO SOLVE AFRICAN PROBLEMS?

AN African parliament to deal with the continent’s problems could be in place by the end of the year, deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said. Speaking on his return from the 71st ministerial conference of the Organisation for African Unity in Ethiopia, Pahad said the idea has the backing of all the organisation’s member states. “It is premature to speculate on the structure of the parliament, how it would be funded and its comparison to the OAU. Once the experts provide us with the documentation then we can comment,” Pahad said. The ministerial conference closed in Addis Ababa on Friday with a call for conflict-ridden African countries to resolve their disputes peacefully.