Randa Achmawi, special report for ANBA*
Cairo – The first joint Arab Parliament had its inaugural session last week at the offices of the League of Arab States in Cairo. The launching ceremony included the presences of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, of the secretary general of the League, Amr Mussa, and of the 88 members of the assembly that represents the Arab countries. Mubarak qualified the meeting as a historic step to open new horizons for joint initiatives by the nations of the region.
"The establishment of the Arab Parliament is part of the effort that is being made in reforms and modernization of the League of Arab States, which began with a resolution that was adopted by the group of member countries during the Algiers Summit, in March 2005. The establishment of an intermediary Parliament was decided, and it will have a mandate of five years, that may be extended to seven," explained Alaa Rougdi, a spokesperson for the League.
According to him, the temporary Parliament will have as its main job the elaboration of a work plan and of a set of rules to be adopted and followed by the definitive Parliament. During a period of five years the bases necessary for operation of the organization should be established.
The number of members, however, has already been defined: there will be four representatives (speakers and senators) from each of the 22 Arab nations, totalling 88 parliament members. "These members were selected by the parliaments of each of the member countries," stated Rougdi.
The idea of creating an Arab Parliament was part of a series proposals released by the secretary general of the Arab League to strengthen the influence of the institution. To him, the definitive version of the organization should be similar to that of the European Parliament. "This step undoubtedly represents an evolution in the institutions work," declared Rougdi. "The insertion of representatives of Arab populations in the League alone should provide a great impulse and supply great support to joint Arab initiatives," he added.
According to him, the Parliament will have as its objectives an improvement of relations between the Arab countries, promotion of relations between the respective parliaments and also discussion of questions placed by the Council of Ministers of the League.
"After the end of the intermediary phase, the Parliament will be based in Syria, which offered to house the organization during Algiers Summit," pointed out Rougdi. The members of the intermediary Parliament, however, are going to meet twice a year at the offices of the League of Arab States in Cairo, or in any other Arab capital that offers to host them.
One of the first activities to be executed by the new Assembly was the election of a president. He is a liberal from Kuwait, Mohamed Djassim Al Sakr, and was formerly responsible for the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of the country in the Gulf. His term will be one year.
*Translated by Mark Ament
