STRENGTHENING PARLIAMENTS TO RE-INFORCE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN SOUTH ASIA
South Asian Speakers and MPs discuss the great challenges facing democracy in a region that now stretches from Afghanistan east to Bangladesh.
The Chair and the Table in the Lok Sabha.
The Fifth Conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Co- operation (SAARC) Speakers and Parliamentarians was held in New Delhi from 9 to 12 July 2011, and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, at a solemn function held in the Central Hall of Parliament House. The Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Meira Kumar, MP, welcomed the distinguished gathering while the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Mr Chamal Rajapaksa, proposed the Vote of Thanks. The Speakers, Parliamentarians, Secretaries-General and Secretaries of SAARC Parliaments attended the conference. The Speakers of the six other member countries that addressed the gathering were Mr Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi, President of the Wolesi Jirga, National Assembly of Afghanistan; Md. Abdul Hamid Advocate, Speaker, National Assembly of Bangladesh; Mr Lyonpo Jigme Tshultim, Speaker, National Assembly of Bhutan; Mr Abdulla Shahid, Speaker, People’s Majlis of the Maldives; Mr Subas
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Chandra Nembang, Chairman of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal; and Dr Fehmida Mirza, Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan.
In his inaugural address, Dr Singh said the winds of democracy have swept across the length and breadth of South Asia but the picture was a mixed one. What was however common was the optimism about the future and the abiding faith of the people in universal adult franchise and free and fair elections. Dr Singh observed that the countries of South Asia faced common challenges of mass poverty, unemployment, lack of adequate healthcare, illiteracy and environmental degradation. Each of them had rich and varied experiences in tackling these challenges and they should learn from each other’s experiences, and reinforce each other’s efforts to deal with them. The SAARC countries had to learn to speak with one voice on the common challenges that faced them. These countries had to not only keep
pace with technology, but also harness its benefits to bring down the psychological barriers that separated them. Dr Singh said that South Asia was home to perhaps the most youthful population in the world and the region could reap a rich demographic dividend if it could equip its youth with the right skills, make them employable and channel their energies to productive ends. The Prime Minister felt that perhaps no region was more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and other challenges to sustainable development than the South Asia region. Since regional cooperation was vital for improving the quality of governance in managing the natural resources, in preventing land and water degradation and in strengthening food, water and energy security, it should be done at all levels – bilaterally, sub-regionally and as a region as a whole. He pointed out that South Asia could not realize its full potential until and unless the differences were resolved peacefully and there developed the