The 53-member African Union launched a pan-African parliament yesterday, hoping to provide a new forum to battle perennial problems of war, poverty and disease.

　　The AU is a continent-wide body that seeks to foster a common African approach to boosting democracy and development in a continent weighed down by conflicts, HIV/AIDS and debt.

　　The AU wants the pan-African assembly, modelled on the European Union parliament, to give Africans a bigger voice in how they are governed, officials said.

　　"The establishment of the pan-African parliament is imperative to consolidate the aspirations of the African peoples," senior AU official Jean Mfasoni said.

　　The parliament, expected to evolve into the law-making arm of the AU, will provide a venue for debates on human rights, democracy, culture and good governance.

　　It will also seek to harmonize the laws of member countries.

　　Yesterday's session at the AU's Addis Ababa headquarters was expected to elect a speaker and decide a location for the parliament's home - key contenders are South Africa and Egypt after Libya withdrew its offer to host the assembly.

　　Each of the AU members has the same five-person representation in the 265-member assembly. MPs are picked from each state's national parliament. Yesterday's session had only 195 members, since to date only 39 countries have ratified the protocol setting up the pan-African body.

　　The assembly, due to hold at least two sessions a year, will have only consultative and advisory powers in its first five years but is eventually expected to have legislative powers.

　　(Reuters)