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(June 17,
2005/ Bangkok) More than fifty representatives from CALD member parties,
associate and individual members and observer parties, and
partners arrived
yesterday in the Thai capital for the two-day Executive
Committee Meeting and Executive Visit of the Council of Asian
Liberals & Democrats. This event is hosted by the Democrat Party
of Thailand with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
(FNF).
The CALD
delegates attended last night the reception hosted by Dr.
Irmgard Schwaetzer, FNF boardmember and former parliamentarian
and German Federal Minister, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary
of FNF in Thailand, which also served as the farewell reception
of Mr. Uwe Johannen, FNF Regional Director for East and
Southeast Asia and as the formal welcome for Mr. Hubertus von
Welck who would be taking over from Mr. Johannen. During this
event Thai Parliamentarian and former Deputy Foreign Minister,
M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, spoke in behalf of CALD.
A whole-day
meeting started today at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel. Aside
from CALD business matters, various political parties and the
Young Liberals and Democrats for Asia (YLDA) also made their
presentations regarding their respective political parties:
brief history, vision and platform, organizational profile,
participation in recent electoral campaigns, significant
achievements in the executive branch of government and in the
legislature and plans for the future. Alco covered in the
discussions were significant political developments that have
national and regional impact.
The
presenters were Korean parliamentarians Dr. Kim Myung-ja and
Chung Eui-yong (MP) of the ruling Uri Party; Hong Kong
legislators Martin Lee and Sin Chung Kai of the Democratic
Party; Members of Parliament Hasto Kristiyanto and Isma Yatun
with Dr. Yasonna H. Laoly of the Indonesian Party of Struggle (PDIP);
HM Lukhman Edy, Hermawi Taslim and Hanif Dhakiri of the Nation
Awakening Party of Indonesia (PKB); and, Eko Darwanto and Anne
Elicano of the Young Liberals & Democrats of Asia.
An open
forum followed each presentation during the whole day event
presided by Hon. Bi-Khim Hsiao, MP, CALD Secretary General.
Prior to the
presentations, the CALD Executive Committee discussed the
following projects completed prior to the said meeting: the CALD
Executive Visit to Taipei (March 18-19); the CALD activities
during the 112th Inter Parliamentary Union General Assembly
(March 31 to April 8, Manila) including the concurrent missions
of the Sam Rainsy Party and the National Council of the Union of
Burma; CALD participation during the Liberal International
Congress (May 12 to 14, Sofia, Bulgaria) including the workshop
between CALD and RELIAL, the Latin American network of liberal
parties and organizations; and the Italian Le Margherita Party
Asian Mission which CALD co-sponsored (June 6 to 10, Bangkok,
Manila, etc).
Also
discussed were the future projects, in particular, the LI-CALD
Women’s Conference and Turn Over Ceremonies (October in Taipei)
and the CALD Communication Workshop (September, Kuala Lumpur) as
well as the ongoing CALD Internship Program to the European
Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg.
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