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(April 10,
2006/ Jakarta) Asian and European liberal parliamentarians
arrive today at the Indonesian capital for the two-day mission
and workshop jointly organized by the Alliance of Liberals &
Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Council of Asian Liberals &
Democrats (CALD).
The mission,
supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, consists of a
full-day workshop and visits to two leading Indonesian political
parties, the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) and the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
ALDE, the
biggest third force in the European parliament, has sent a
delegation consisting of seven Members of the European
Parliament. They are Hon. Graham Watson, a British MEP, ALDE
leader; Hon. Jules Maaten, MEP, from the Netherlands; Hon.
Eugenijus Gentvilas, MEP, from Lithuania; Hon. Ignasi Guardans,
MEP, from Spain; Hon. Anders Samuelsen, MEP, from Denmark; Hon.
Fiona Hall, MEP, from the UK; and Hon. Lydie Polfer, MEP and
former Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg.
The CALD
delegation is headed by Hon. Henedina Razon-Abad, MP, head of
the CALD Women’s Caucus and Vice President of the Liberal Party
of the Philippines; Senator Rhina Bhar of the Malaysian People’s
Movement Party (Gerakan); Hon. Saumura Tioulong, MP, of the Sam
Rainsy Party of Cambodia; and H.E. Ambassador Khasit Piromya of
the Democrat Party of Thailand.
Mr. Hubertus
von Welck, FNF Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia,
also attended.
The members
of the organizing committee are Mr. John Joseph S. Coronel, CALD
Executive Director; Mr. Nicollo Rinaldi, ALDE Deputy Secretary
General; Ms. Nur Rachmi and Ms. Irina Dayasih of FNF-Jakarta;
Ms. Therese Murdock of ALDE Secretariat; and, Mr. Carlo
Religioso, CALD Program Officer.
A welcome
dinner was hosted by CALD at the Dapur Babah, a well-known
Jakarta Restaurant. |
