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Parliamentarians Visit United Kingdom

27 May 2004

Members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) from 18 CPA branches visited Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, in London, UK, on 19 May 2004. They met with the Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, to discuss Commonwealth issues of mutual interest.

In welcoming the parliamentarians, Mr McKinnon said, "This is an excellent opportunity to outline some of the work the Commonwealth is doing, to discuss your role, as Commonwealth parliamentarians, and to explore ways in which we can further co-operate.

"The Commonwealth's position in promoting democracy has been reinforced at the Abuja Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). One of the important outcomes of the Abuja CHOGM was the agreement on guidelines for implementing the Commonwealth's fundamental values by all branches of government. The principles -- known as the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the three branches of Government -- set out a framework for responsibility, transparency and accountability in the three branches of government: Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary. I'm pleased to see that this issue will feature in discussions at the CPA Conference in Canada in September."

The meeting was part of a visit held from 5 to 21 May 2004 and organised by the CPA, UK branch. The 22-member delegation included Barry Wakelin (Commonwealth, Australia), Doug Parkinson (Tasmania, Australia), Noel Maughan (Victoria, Australia), Syed Wahidul Alam (Bangladesh), Delores Christopher (British Virgin Islands), Senator Terry Stratton (Federal, Canada), Cecile Vermette (Quebec, Canada), Dan D'Autremont (Saskatchewan, Canada), Ndey Njie (The Gambia), George Waft (Isle of Man, UK), Justin B Muturi (Kenya), Awang Bemee Ali Basah (Sarawak, Malaysia), Senator Lynell Nolan (Nevis), Brian Donnelly (New Zealand), J Baden Allain (St Lucia), Leong Horn Kee (Singapore), O G Madoda (North West, South Africa), Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane (Sri Lanka), Marwick T Khumalo (Swaziland), Danny Montano (Trinidad and Tobago), Sylvia Narnabidde Ssinabulya (Uganda) and Eliachim Simpassa (United Republic of Tanzania).

The delegates visited Brighton, on the south coast of England, to learn about local government, agriculture and tertiary education. They also spent two days on the Isle of Man at the invitation of the CPA Isle of Man Branch. In London, they visited City Hall and the London Assembly, attended a 'Question and Answer' session directed at British Prime Minister Tony Blair and had discussions at Westminster on a wide range of issues, including 'The Speaker's role in Parliament' and 'The political and parliamentary scene at Westminster'. A reception and buffet supper was hosted by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in their honour.

The delegates also met a wide cross-section of British MPs and members of the House of Lords (upper chamber of Parliament), both formally in discussion sessions and informally over lunch in the House of Commons (lower chamber of Parliament).

The CPA membership consists of the national, provincial, state and territorial Parliaments and Legislatures of the Commonwealth. Members, irrespective of gender, race, religion or culture, share the Association's mission to promote knowledge and understanding about parliamentary democracy and respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms.