
The new President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and co-President of the Joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly, Member of Parliament for Mozambique, Hon. Ana Rita Sithole, has given a glowing tribute to her predecessor, former President, Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr, for his sterling leadership of parliamentarians of the 78 member country organization over the last two years.
In the her opening remarks at the Meeting of the Joint ACP- convened in Brussels, Belgium, from 19-29 June, President Sithole stated that the Presidency of Hon. Kenilorea, representing the Pacific region, saw him preside over the Assembly during the COVID pandemic where most of the meetings were convened online.
She compared Kenilorea’s leadership to the leader of the miners caught under a collapsed mine in Chile a decade ago. That leader gave hope to the other miners while they were underground. President Sithole said during COVID 19, former President Kenilorea led the ACP Parliamentary Assembly with courage and hope.
At the meeting the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly approved the rules of procedure for the new joint parliament assembly and three new regional parliamentary assemblies for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions.
Hon. Kenilorea spearheaded the drafting of these new parliamentary rules of procedure during his tenure as President. These new rules of procedure will be adopted by the respective bodies once the post-Cotonou agreement is signed in Samoa hopefully before the end of 2023.
The member for East Are Are, Hon. Kenilorea, also joined Fiji in representing the Pacific region at the Bureau meetings at the Brussels meetings.
Hon. Kenilorea thanked the speaker of parliament for nominating him to the post of President and appreciated the support provided to him by the Clerk of Parliament, the staff of parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.
He also appreciates the continued support he receives from people in his constituency of East Are Are and the wider public during his Presidency and in his international engagements on behalf of Solomon Islands National Parliament.
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