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Title: The first true 'Mother Africa'? Post by: Oshun_Auset on March 19, 2004, 11:48:28 AM The first true 'Mother Africa'?
Staff Reporter ADDIS ABABA, 19 March 2004 Africa has a parliament - and a woman is heading it. ADDIS ABABA: The Pan African parliament has elected a woman on a unanimous basis as the first president of the body. She is Ambassador Getrude Mangella from Tanzania. No other candidates stood for the post. The African Union inaugurated the continent's first parliament at a ceremony in Ethiopia today. One-hundred-and-eighty members from 36 countries have been sworn in. Addressing the parliament's inaugural session, Mozambican President and African Union chair Joaquim Chissano said that without economic development, African political processes would always be compromised. Meanwhile, the President of the African Union's Commission, Alpha Konare, says the notorious regression of the African continent is not impossible to correct. He told the parliament that the 21st century was Africa's century. In the next 20, years the population of the continent will increase to one-point-five billion. Konare says Africa has so many resources, including land, water and human resources. Sapa. SABC (ChannelAfrica.org) |