ASEAN Parliamentarians Gather In Philippines For Dialog
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Cebu City, Philippines (AHN) - Lawmakers from the 10-member nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began their discussion Monday to find ways of creating a single parliament for the region, in the province of Cebu, in western Philippines. The creation of a single regional parliament is one of the key issues to be discussed in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization's (AIPO) 27th General Assembly which will run until September 15. Cebu City Representative Antonio Cuenco, who chairs the Philippines House foreign relations committee and head of the Organizing Committee for the assembly, said the proposal calls for the conversion of the AIPO into the ASEAN Parliamentary Council. He said, "We are trying to work out a system (similar to the European Parliament)." He adds Manila initiated the proposal and is supported by Jakarta. Philippine House Speaker Jose de Venecia said the ASEAN Parliamentary Council will be the prelude to an ASEAN Parliament. He said, "AIPO Cebu 2006 is expected to strengthen the sentiment for political unification among ASEAN nations." He adds, "The proposed APC would legislate and confirm common action on world peace, antiterrorism, poverty, environmental health, the narcotics drug trade, cross-border crimes, human rights and social justice." Leaders of eight legislatures were expected to attend the meeting |
