A busy schedule lined up for the Heads of States and Government 10 th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU), awaits President Levy Mwanawasa in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
President Mwanawasa is expected in the country tomorrow ahead of the AU Summit, which officially opens here on Thursday, January 31 and ends on February 2, 2008.
Dr Mwanawasa’s challenger plane will touch down at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport at 15 hours local time (14 hours Zambian time) and he will immediately be driven to Sheraton Hotel in the capital where he will lodge during the Summit.
On hand to receive the President will be the Zambian Advance Party comprising Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Special Assistant to the President on Politics, Marvis Muyunda, Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Ben Tetamashimba and Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima.
Others are Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Patrick Sinyinza, Justice Minister George Kunda who arrived in Addis Ababa today.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande confirmed the arrival of President Mwanawasa here in an interview with ZANIS.
According to the programme, Dr Mwanawasa will join other Heads of State and Government on Wednesday January 30 at the 8th Summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism at the AU
Conference Centre dubbed Ethiopian Millenium.
Zambia is still in the process of being reviewed as it has reached a stage to be assessed.
The itinerary will climax with President Mwanawasa attending the official opening of the AU Summit at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Conference Centre. The Summit is being held under the theme ‘Industrial Development in Africa’.
On the same day the President is expected to be part of the session to consider the election of the AU Commission Chairperson.
Zambia is fielding its Ambassador to the United States of America, Dr Inonge Mbikutsita Lewanika, who is already here with her campaign team headed by AU Task Force Special Envoy and Coordinator Ambassador Simataa Akapelwa.
The election is being held to replace Former Malian President Professor Alpha Ourmar Konare whose term of office wound up last July. The meeting will also consider the election of the AU Chair to replace Ghana’s President John Kufuor.
Later the same day, Dr Mwanawasa is expected to attend a presentation and discussion on the AU Summit finance.
On Friday 1st February the President will attend a closed door session of the AU Assembly.
The Minister said the President was likely to have bilateral talks with his Sierra Leon
counterpart and other Heads of States, who are expected to make arrangements to have a meeting with Dr Mwanawasa.
The Zambian embassy here is also expected to host a dinner in his honour before he returns home on Sunday after the Summit which closes on Saturday February 2, 2008.
On the sidelines of the high level summit, include a discussion on the 2008 AU Budget, Union Government as a follow up of the Accra Declaration in June 2007 where a decision of the Union Government was postponed and a Ministerial Committee set up based on the Accra deliberations with a view of creating consensus during the upcoming summit.
Other activities will include a meeting of the AU’s Peace and Security Council whose agenda includes the situation in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Meanwhile, nine Foreign Affairs Ministers from Southern Africa have endorsed Dr Inonge Mbikutsita Lewanika’s candidature out of 10 Ministers.
Zambia’s Foresin Affairs minister Kabinga Pande confirmed to ZANIS today that this follows a meeting that the Ministers held here on Sunday but declined to name the country which was not in favour of the Zambian candidature and remained silent on which ministers had approved this.
He said the Foreign Ministers had pledged their support towards Dr Mbikutsita Lewanika for the position of the AU Commission Chairperson and noted with confidence that she was the right candidate due to her vast experience and her involvement in activities pertaining to the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and its transformation into the African Union.
Dr Inonge Mbikutsita Lewanika is energetic, cooperative and somebody who wants things to be done, traits, Mr Pande said, were being sought for by the AU.
On prospects of her scooping the seat, Mr Pande said Zambia was very positive because of the qualities she has exhibited.
“She has all the qualities of AU and she will not let AU and Africa down’’, he added.
The Zambian candidate has attracted attention of foreign media. Today in the morning, she had an interview with BBC’s Reporter Elizabeth Blunt and the Ethiopian media was on Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande to give them more details on her.
On the proposed Union Government that is under discussion as part of the AU Summit Agenda during the ongoing Executive Council meeting, Mr Pande said Zambia welcomed this but emphasised on the need for regional blocs to first be strengthened before it is implemented.
The Minister advised that regional blocs such as Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Economic Commission for West African States and East African Community (EAC) among other blocs, should be strengthened for them to be able to integrate at regional and continental levels, respectively.
He further said the process should be gradual to allow AU member states to examine pros and cons and stressed the need for Africa’s diversity as one issue to be addressed by considering culture, religion, Governance, human rights (women and children rights).
But, he said, that AU was faced with a challenge to decide on whether the proposal would be a Government or European Union arrangement.
‘’If it has to be a Government how do we select the leaders and that it is not possible to have a union Government within three to five years as proposed by others. We need a longer period. There are other proposals like nine, 15 years, which are under discussions’’, he explained.
And the Minister has described the ongoing 12th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive
Council as good and being held under what he termed brotherly and sisterly atmosphere where member countries are openly discussing issues adding that this was helpful for the continental body.
Turning to this year’s summit theme ‘Industrial Development in Africa’, the Foreign Affairs Minister said Africa was at a level of production but that the continent should move a step to industrialisation.
He said Africa, Zambia in particular has for a long time been producing but that time had come to shift to industrialization saying that the country was well placed to attend this year’s summit owing to the positive developments taking place.
Ukakambeko vazelu uko kwamene wa enda, dont just waste our hard earned money. We want energetic Inonge Mbikusita for AU Commission Chairperson without fail. If she is not elected dont even come back bwana chuchu, wavela.
What a waste of resources.
LT, can u pliz try to summarise the reports you post on the forum….PLIZ!
It is a pity that he has left so much suffering in Zambia with the floods and all. Has the President been to any of the flood hit areas? Please enlighten me. Has madam presidente been as Vera would have done?
Guys Guys…
This man is the Haed of State! He deserves some respect and so does his work, Please!
You can put aside you political orientations for now, the man is representing our country at an important meeting!
Floods are not caused by Mwanawasa!
As for Dr. Mbikusita, she will be participating in a democratic process, all the President and other delegates can do is lobby support!
Please, respect the office and the bearer atleast up to 2011!
#5 as long as this so called president does not respect citizens,he will never gain respect himself.Levynho con only gain respect from maureenho at the moment,after all hasn`t he done his worst?He does not deserve da respect you are talking about,talk sense at AU summit,don`t just mumble.
#5 Stop being goody goody, when he calls pipo batakozi, sinking and other names, is it respect? UBUMFUMU BUICHINDIKA UMWINE!!! As long as this presdo keep name calling, we will retaliate, full stop.
#5 don’t waste space on this blog!!
Its amazing and actually surprises to see people waste there opinions on webbsites like these, people let your voices be heard in other ways what good does calling our president fat. Its immature and very ignorant!!!!
#9 Mr Zambian, be real, what do you want to achieve? what is immature about saying the truth? You mean you dont see that the presdo is fat. WHAT AN IGNORANT!!!!!