Prince Edwards Island’s Legislative Assembly is welcoming a delegation from the Southwest African country of Namibia from October 25 - 28. The delegation will be comprised of two members from the National Council, Parliament of Namibia, a parliamentary staff person and an Embassy official from Washington, D.C. The delegation expressed interest in visiting Prince Edward Island to learn about the balance of powers in government between the Executive and Legislative Branches, the functioning of House Committees and the day-to-day operations of Prince Edward Island’s parliament.
Named after Namib, the oldest desert in the world, Namibia is a country populated by 2.1 million people. Agriculture, herding, tourism, and mining are the backbone of its economy. After obtaining full independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibia has been operating a Republic-style multiparty parliamentary democracy. Currently the Southwest Africa People’s Organization has a majority government within the Assembly. After visiting Prince Edward Island, the delegation will be traveling to Ottawa to learn more about the Federal Parliament.
During the parliamentary visit, the delegation will meet with various members of the Island Assembly and its staff who will facilitate discussions and answer questions on the operation of the legislature and its committees. The delegation will also attend a meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and will participate in a day trip to Fredericton to attend the election of Speaker in the New Brunswick Assembly on October 27.
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island is looking forward to the discussions and the mutual benefits that will be achieved through this exchange of information. Island Members and staff and the Namibian delegation will gain valuable practical insight through the sharing of experiences and processes that will contribute to the strengthening democracy and parliamentary practice in Prince Edward Island and in Namibia.