The secretary general of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA, William Shija died barely two days to the official launching of the 60th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, CPC.

His demise in London on Saturday morning postponed the start of the opening ceremony for the 34th small branches conference scheduled to precede the 60th CPA conference here in Yaounde.

"The Commonwealth's worldwide community of parliaments has learned today of the sudden passing of the secretary general of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Dr William F. Shija.

The Commonwealth at large shares in a sense of enormous sadness and loss," Commonwealth secretary general, Kamalesh Sharma expressed in an official statement Saturday morning.

Shijahad died following an illness, though details of the health problem were not readily available. Back at the Hilton hotel in Yaounde where the small branches conference was scheduled to take place, CPA members led by the speaker of Cameroon’s national assembly observed a minute of silence for the departed scribe.

67 year-old William Ferdinand Shija was a Tanzanian politician, and a former member of the African Union Pan-African Parliament. Before entering politics, Shilja worked as a civil servant and a teacher. After his higher education in India and the United States of America, he taught communications in Tanzania.

Shija was a member of the Tanzanian national assembly from 1990 to 2005. He has also held the positions of minister for science, technology and higher education, minister for information and broadcasting, minister for energy and minerals and minister for industries and trade.

As member of the Pan-African Parliament in 2004 and 2005, he chaired the committee on education, culture, tourism and human resources. He was appointed the first African secretary general of the CPA on September 9, 2006 and took up the position on January 1, 2007. Since assuming the post of secretary general of the CPA, he has lived in London. Shija was married with five children.

As CPA scribe, Shija was the chief executive officer of the association. He was primarily responsible for representing the association and promoting its aims and objectives.

Shija had the task to maintain close links with the branches and provide advice and guidance on their activities and management. He equally acted as secretary to meetings of the executive committee, the general assembly and the plenary conference.

Enter CPC launching The 60th conference of the CPA officially opens in Yaounde. The reputed international conclave which started on October 2 and scheduled to end on October 10 is pegged on the theme: “Repositioning the Commonwealth for the post-2015 development agenda.”

Going by the chairperson of the CPC organising committee, Hon. Monjowa Emilia Lifaka, today’s launching will be the hallmark of the 8-days-meeting.

Cameroon’s head of state and CPA vice patron, Paul Biya is expected to be part of the launching ceremony at the Yaounde conference Centre; officials at the civil cabinet of the presidency have confirmed his attendance in an official statement.

In the meantime, Mary Muyali had told reporters that 700 delegates had registered as of October 1. The conference which in essence is the 36th for the African region is grouping 120 participants of 17 delegations.

During the conference, participants will brainstorm on specific themes which touch on democracy, development and parliamentary issues.

About CPA The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association links members of national, state, provincial and territorial parliaments and legislatures across the Commonwealth. Its mission is to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance.

It seeks to build an informed parliamentary community able to deepen the Commonwealth’s democratic commitment and to further cooperation among its parliaments and legislatures.

Principal CPA officers are: Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP (speaker of the House of Commons, United Kingdom); chair of the executive committee: Hon. Dato’ Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal MP, minister of rural and regional development, Malaysia; and the deceased secretary general; Dr William F. Shija.

The CPA pursues its objectives by means of: annual commonwealth parliamentary conferences, regional conferences and other symposiums; inter-parliamentary visits; parliamentary seminars and workshops; publications, notably The Parliamentarian and newsletters on CPA activities and parliamentary and political events; and Parliamentary Information and Reference Centre communications.

Active CPA Branches now exist in more than 180 national, state, provincial and territorial parliaments and legislatures, with a total membership of over 17,000 parliamentarians.