General News of Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Source: --

Kufuor to discuss Union government

President John Kufuor and four other African heads of state will meet on Wednesday to outline the joint platform on the Union government?s prospect to be submitted to the African Union (AU) ordinary summit billed for Thursday in Addis Ababa, APA disclosed from sources close to the AU Executive Council.

Presidents of Gabon, South Africa, Uganda, Libya, and the AU (AU) chairman, Kufuor are expected to open a second round of talks dedicated to the union government on the eve of the AU heads of state and government conference.

In July 2007, African leaders held an AU summit in Accra which was entirely devoted to the Union government?s prospect with two political positions opposing to the feasibility of such project.

An AU inter-ministerial committee was mandated to determine the contents of the Union government concept and its relations with the other national governments.

In addition, this committee should identify the remits of the government of the Union and the impact of its creation on the respective sovereignty of the AU member-States.

The committee should also work out a roadmap and a schedule for the creation of the government of the Union while identifying the financial sources.