IPU assistance sought to forge consensus between SLFP, UNP
The Inter-Parliamentary Union, a worldwide organization of parliamentarians working for peace and co-operation with its Secretariat based in Geneva, has been invited to assist in forging a consensus among political parties in the south, especially between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and the main opposition United National Party (UNP), said Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Disaster Manager Minister to the press in Colombo Sunday. Currently the leaders of SLFP and UNP have been holding discussions to forge a consensus on six specific matters including the ethnic crisis. Two rounds of talks between these parties were already held and the third round of talks, expected to be the final one, is to be held on October 3 in the Jayawardhanapura parliamentary complex building, sources said. Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe said he handed over the invitation of the government to IPU Secretary General during his visit abroad with the President to extend his assistance to facilitate the process between the two parties.
TamilNet - 1 October 2006

Inter-Parliamentary Union to facilitate dialogue
The Inter-Parliamentary Union has established contacts to facilitate dialogue between Iranian and US officials on the nuclear issue. The IPU would like to organize informal discussions from 16 to 18 October in Geneva. "We would like to make ourselves useful. We have excellent relations and we can facilitate dialogue", IPU Secretary General, Anders Johnsson, told ATS, confirming information contained in an article carried in the Tribune de Genève. Mr. Johnsson has recently returned from a trip to Iran where he and IPU President, the Italian Pier Ferdinando Casini, met President Ahmadinejad in Tehran along with other leaders of the Islamic Republic. "We proposed to facilitate dialogue to all our Iranian counterparts and they said: we are interested", said Johnsson. "Everyone in Tehran, President Ahmadinejad included, wants to reach an agreement through negotiation", the IPU chief added.
Agence Télégraphique suisse (ATS) - 14 September 2006

Release Palestinian legislators now
Israel has abducted and imprisoned 33 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council including the Speaker and five ministers, among which is Deputy Prime Minister. We consider the imprisonment of democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian Authority as an attack on the fundamental principles of democracy. The Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006 were declared fair by international observers. Following the elections, Jimmy Carter said: "Among the 62 elections that have been monitored by us at the Carter Centre, these are among the best in portraying the will of the people." We support the demand by the Inter-Parliamentary Union that the Palestinian parliamentarians be released immediately. Signed by the following MPs: Norman Baker, Roger Berry, Peter Bottomley, Richard Burden, Martin Caton, Katy Clark, Michael Connarty, Jeremy Corbyn, David Drew, Andrew George, Neil Gerrard, Helen Goodman, Paul Holmes, Mike Hancock, Kelvin Hopkins, Stewart Hosie, Lynne Jones, Christine McCafferty, Kerry McCarthy, John McDonnell, Shahid Malik, Angus Robertson, Clare Short, Marsha Singh, Phyllis Starkey, Mike Weir and Derek Wyatt.
Guardian Unlimited - 13 September 2006

Casini: Iran must respect United Nations demands
Pier Ferdinando Casini urged President Ahmadinejad to respect the United Nations resolution on the suspension of its uranium enrichment programme. Casini is currently visiting Tehran in his capacity as President of the Inter- Parliamentary Union. The former Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies also defended Israel's right to exist and stressed that if Iran respects the Security Council resolution, it could play a major role in the region in the future.
Yahoo Italia - ANSA - 11 September 2006

Drilon elected to head IPU committee
Senate President Franklin Drilon was elected on Tuesday, 11 July, as President of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the international body that investigates cases of human rights violations concerning lawmakers throughout the world. Drilon was elected to the post during the 114th session of the IPU human rights committee. He is the first Filipino legislator to be elected to the position since the IPU was established in 1889. "It is a privilege to be elected President of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. I intend to give my best efforts to the worldwide campaign for the protection of members of the legislature. Respect for human rights, not only of members of parliament, but also of the ordinary citizen, is a basic pillar of democracy. We must all do our part to uphold civil and human rights", Drilon said. The IPU's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians was established in 1976 and holds regular meetings four times a year. "It was created to ensure that the human rights of the world's parliamentary community - composed of more than 40,000 members - are respected", he added.
The Manila Bulletin Online - 12 July 2006