PRETORIA, Nov 6 (AFP) - Preparations for forming a Pan African Parliament (PAP) should be completed by the end of next year, Organisation of African Unity (OAU) assistant secretary general Said Djinnit said here Monday. Djinnit said however that African states must first ratify the treaty that seeks to establish a planned African Union, of which the PAP would be an organ. "If the ratification processes are properly managed ... it is possible that by the end of next year we can confidently say that at least a basis has been laid," he said. Djinnit described an African parliament as part of the African continent's long march towards unity which began with the formation of the OAU in 1963. "It's time for Africa to take the next step," he said. Djinnit was speaking at a press briefing ahead of a four-day assembly of African parliamentarians in Pretoria to discuss the establishment of the PAP. The African Union, a watered-down version of a "United States of Africa" proposed by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi last year, is meant to be launched in March 2001 but has had a lukewarm response from African states, with only Mali, Senegal, Togo and Libya having ratified the treaty so far. Djinnit said Monday that no one could say how long it would take Africa's other 49 states to ratify the treaty. At least two-thirds must ratify before the body can be created. Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi last week criticised the idea of a union, saying it would be a pointless exercise while Africans kept killing each other in the numerous wars raging on the continent. But South Africa has supported the idea, with the foreign ministry saying Monday that the PAP's objectives such as good governance and democracy were in keeping with the African Renaissance, President Thabo Mbeki's much-vaunted ideal of a reversal of fortunes for Africa. "Some people are saying this is ambitious. But why shouldn't Africa be ambitious?" asked deputy foreign affairs director general Welile Nhlapo. "Once you take those bold steps, then you begin to look at the challenges." Some 200 African parliamentarians will deliberate a protocol for the establishment of the PAP at the assembly which starts in Pretoria on Tuesday and ends Friday. The gathering will be attended by OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim and will be chaired by the speaker of the South African parliament, Frene Ginwala. bur/ef/gd _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------