Cameroonian Dang wins Pan-African Parliament presidency

CAIRO – 11 May 2018: Cameroonian Roger Nkodo Dang, who represents the Central African region, was re-elected as the president of the Pan-African Parliament during secret polling on Thursday, May 10. He competed with two other candidates representing North and South Africa.

Egypt competed for the presidential seat, but it didn’t win. Egyptian Parliamentarian Mostafa el-Gendi, who represented the North African area, managed to earn only 44 votes out of 224. Zimbabwean Fortune Charumbira, who represented South Africa in the elections, received 47 votes.


FILE- Egyptian Parliamentarian Mostafa el-Gendi, who represented the North African area, managed to earn 44 votes out of 224.

Out of 258 Pan-African Parliament members eligible to vote, 222 members participated in the voting. Dang will officially be inaugurated on Friday, May 11.


According to the election regulations, the winner has to collect 50+1 votes out of all valid electoral votes. In case none of the competitors receive the needed votes, a re-election would take place on the same day. Fifty-five African countries are represented in the parliament, which is affiliated to the African Union.

Egyptian Parliamentarian Mostafa el-Gendi has made several visits to the member countries of the Pan-African Parliament.

Since taking office in 2014, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has exerted sincere efforts to strengthen the country’s relations with its African neighbors.

According to the State Information Service (SIS) analysis report on Sisi's official foreign visits, released last August, about 30 percent of his visits were to African countries or to participate in African meetings and summits since taking office in June 2014.

The SIS report stated that out of 69 official foreign visits, Sisi headed to 21 African countries, including Sudan, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gabon and Chad.

He also met with 112 African leaders, whether during their visits to Egypt or while participating in international meetings and summits.

High-level meetings were conducted between Egyptian officials, including Sisi, and their African counterparts since June 2014, according to SIS.




FILE- Egyptian Parliamentarian Mostafa el-Gendi, who represented the North African area, managed to earn 44 votes out of 224