Namibia’s Speaker candidate for world parliamentary body

THE Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, has been elected as Africa’s sole candidate to head an international parliamentary organisation.

The geo-political grouping of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unanimously elected Gurirab as the next President of the body in Geneva, Switzerland. If elected by the IPU Council, he will assume presidency in October 2008, the Speaker’s office announced yesterday.”This being Africa’s turn to fill that highest position in the IPU, it is expected that by April next year the matter would be settled,” said Nama Goabab, Secretary to the National Assembly.”Gurirab is no longer Namibia’s or a SADC candidate, but Africa’s candidate.”South Africa will be hosting the 118th IPU Plenary Assembly Session in Cape Town in April 2008.”The unwritten but time-tested practice is that geo-political groups rotate the IPU presidency.The campaign (for Gurirab) will however continue, at all levels and everywhere, until elections in October 2008,” according to Goabab.Gurirab returned on Thursday from the Switzerland trip.If elected by the IPU Council, he will assume presidency in October 2008, the Speaker’s office announced yesterday.”This being Africa’s turn to fill that highest position in the IPU, it is expected that by April next year the matter would be settled,” said Nama Goabab, Secretary to the National Assembly.”Gurirab is no longer Namibia’s or a SADC candidate, but Africa’s candidate.”South Africa will be hosting the 118th IPU Plenary Assembly Session in Cape Town in April 2008.”The unwritten but time-tested practice is that geo-political groups rotate the IPU presidency.The campaign (for Gurirab) will however continue, at all levels and everywhere, until elections in October 2008,” according to Goabab.Gurirab returned on Thursday from the Switzerland trip.