Support for concept of South Asian Parliament - Speaker Lokubandara

Manjula Fernando in Shimla

INDIA: Sri Lanka supports the concept of a South Asian Parliament which would create a common platform for policy makers to address issues of regional concern, Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara said addressing a gathering of South Asian Parliamentarians in Shimla, India on Saturday.

"Countries like India should take the leadership in such bold initiatives," he told the second Parliamentary forum convened by the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA).

Hailing the long tradition of participatory democracy in South Asia the Speaker urged the Parliamentarians to be more tolerant and shed differences of petty party politics which plague the individual countries and the region as a whole. The gathering saw 83 Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MPs from different political parties, from the eight SAARC countries including Speakers from Sri Lanka and India, Shri Somnath Chatterjee.

The two day conference deliberated on regional issues under the topics Economic Cooperation, Connectivity and South Asian Parliament, Human Security and Conflict Resolution and Cooperative Security.

"The Fraternity of Parliamentarins and the media of SAARC countries, through mutual cooperation and consultation, can enormously help the cause of peace and prosperity in the region," the Indian Lok Sabha speaker, making the inaugural speech, said.

Reminding that the region housed 40 per cent of the world's poor as well as two fifth of our 1400 million population earning less than one dollar a day, he added "Our decision makers and policy planners have a daunting task to achieve all round development and bring in a regime of growth and equity."

Noting democracy, peace and development had a symbiotic relationship, Chatterjee observed "A Free media plays a crucial role in strengthening this relationship."

The Indian Speaker expressed the hope that this meeting will impart a new direction and momentum to the peace process and further strengthen the people to people contact in the region.

Members from Parliaments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives also spoke.