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(April 11,
2007/ Jakarta) The joint parliamentary mission of the Alliance
for Liberals & Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Council of
Asian Liberals & Democrats (CALD) finished today its workshop at
the Four Seasons Hotel in the Indonesian capital.
The workshop
is supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) with the
participation of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) and the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
ALDE Leader,
Graham Watson, MEP, chaired the opening session and gave the
opening remarks in behalf of his organization. This was followed
by messages from FNF Regional Director for East and South East
Asia, Mr. Hubertus von Welck; Liberal Party of the Philippines
Vice President, Henedina Abad, MP, speaking in behalf of CALD;
Dr. Cecep Syariffudin, MP, of PKB and Ms. Willa Chandra
Sutriandi, MP of PDIP.
The first
session “Challenges for Democratic Consolidation” had for its
panel
Hon. Kasit
Piromya, former Thai Ambassador to the United States Democrat
Party Thailand; Congresswoman Abad; Hon. Ingasi Guardans, MEP,
of Spain and Hon. Lydie Polfer, MEP, of Luxemburg.
Session II:
Diversity within Islam featured Mr. Cecep Syriffudin; Senator
Rhina Bhar of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia and Mr. Jules
Maaten, MEP, from Netherlands and former Secretary General of
Liberal International.
The last
session “Curbing Corruption and Increasing Transparency in a
Globalized Economy (Addressing State Capture, Corruption and
Influence) had the following speakers: Ms. Saumura Tioulong, MP,
of the Sam Rainsy Party; Ms. Fiona Hall, MEP of United Kingdom
and Hon. Eugenijus Gentivilas, MEP, of Lithuania.
 A
luncheon meeting with the press was also held. Among those who
attended were reporters from Jakarta Post, Bisnis Indonesia,
TV-RI, Kompas, Republika, Iken Antara, Rakyat Merdeka, Sinar
Harapan, etc.
Other
workshop participants include Mr. Anders Samuelsen, MEP, of
Denmark; Ms. Badyiyah Fayumi, MP, of PKB; Mr. Nicollo Rinaldi,
ALDE Deputy Secretary General; and, Mr. John Joseph S. Coronel,
CALD Executive Director. Among the observers was Mr. Florian
Witt, Political Adviser and Attache of the European Union
Representative to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and East Timor.
Providing
technical and logistic support were Ms. Therese Murdock, ALDE
Secretariat; CALD Program Officer Carlo Religioso; and Ms. Nur
Rachmi of FNF-Jakrta.
The workshop
closed with a dinner hosted by Mr. Watson at the Lara Djongrang
Restaurant where the Asian and European parliamentarians
expressed their mutual gratitude and commitment to further
cooperation. |
