Luanda, Angola – In a fiercely contested election at the 147th IPU Assembly, Dr. Tulia Ackson, the Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, emerged victorious as the 31st President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The election, held on Friday, saw Ackson secure 57% of the vote, defeating candidates from Malawi, Senegal, and Somalia in a secret ballot that witnessed participation from 130 member nations.
The journey to Ackson’s presidency was marred by controversy, primarily originating from Somalia. Marwo Abdibashir Hagi, a Somali MP and one of the four African women candidates, accused Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Somalia, of intentionally undermining her candidacy.
Madobe, in a last-minute letter to the IPU, claimed that Bashir had withdrawn from the race, an assertion vehemently denied by Bashir herself. Despite remaining in the competition, Bashir secured only 11 votes, significantly trailing behind Ackson’s 172 votes, as well as the candidates from Malawi and Senegal, who received 61 and 59 votes respectively.
Tensions escalated within the Somali camp as a delegation from the Somali Parliament, originally intended to advocate for Bashir, was noticeably absent from the IPU assembly.
Dr. Tulia Ackson, a highly experienced legal expert with degrees from the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Cape Town, expressed her gratitude and commitment upon securing the presidency.
“Thank you for the confidence you have bestowed upon me. I affirm my commitment to making the IPU an effective, accountable, and transparent organization,” she stated.
The IPU implemented voting measures aimed at promoting gender balance during the election. Member parliaments were offered three votes if their delegations were gender-balanced, compared to only one vote for single-sex delegations.
Dr. Tulia Ackson’s election as the 31st President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union signifies a significant milestone in her career and highlights the importance of diverse and inclusive leadership in international parliamentary organizations.
With her legal expertise and commitment to transparency, Ackson aims to lead the IPU towards greater effectiveness and accountability in the pursuit of global parliamentary cooperation and development.
