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(February 9,
2007/ Jakarta) The Closing Ceremonies of the 1st CALD
Political Party Management Workshop held its closing ceremonies
at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Indonesian capital. The
workshop was sponsored by the Council of Asian Liberals &
Democrats (CALD) with the support of the Friedrich Naumann
Foundation (FNF) and hosted by the Nation Awakening Party (PKB)
and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
CALD
Secretary General Dr. Neric Acosta, MP and Mr. Hubertus von
Welck, FNF Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia gave
brief speeches during the occasion. The two gentlemen thanked
all the participants who braved the inclement weather to be part
of this most important undertaking of CALD. It was also
announced that during the CALD Executive Committee meeting
earlier, the leaders of CALD are seriously reviewing the various
recommendations made by the participants of the workshops on how
to improve their respective parties through better systems and
greater transparency and democracy. Dr. Acosta also
thanked the two Indonesian political parties for their
hospitality and the Indonesian FNF staff for their invaluable
assistance.
CALD
Executive Director John Coronel who served as master of
ceremonies also announced that with the success of the 1st
workshop on party management, the Executive Committee has
approved the holding of a second workshop for 2008.
Among those
present during the occasion were Hon. Ong Ard Klampaiboon,
Democrat Party of Thailand spokesperson, former Bangkok
parliamentarian and former CALD Secretary General; former CALD
Chairman and Philippine Education Secretary Florencio Abad;
Madam Saumura Tioulong, MP, of the Sam Rainsy Party; Ms. Dina
Abad, MP, Chairwoman of the CALD Women’s Caucus; Mr. Lee Kah
Choon, Deputy Secretary General of the Malaysian People’s
Movement Party (Gerakan); Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha, President of the
Liberal Party of Sri Lanka; Ms. Chee Siok Chin of the Singapore
Democratic Party; Mr. David Taw of the National Council of the
Union of Burma; Ms. Amy Hsiao and Ms. Pingya Hsu of the
Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan; Mr. Taslim Herwami of
Indonesia’s Nation Awakening Party (PKB); Mr. Asif Khan of
Liberal Forum Pakistan; Dr. Rainer Adam, FNF Resident
Representative (Jakarta) and Mr. Siegfried Herzog, FNF Resident
Representative (Manila).
Also present
were Mr. Paul Rowland, Senior Resident Director, and Ms.
Stephanie Lynn of the National Democratic Institute in Jakarta;
and, former CALD Program Officer, Mr. Raul Cordenillo who is now
the Head of the Investment and Enterprise unit, Bureau for
Economic Integration and Finance of the Jakarta-based ASEAN
Secretariat.
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