For more reforms in the regionRegional workshop on wise governance forum wrapped up [Archives:2005/854/Front Page]

Yasser Mohammed Al-Mayyasi
SANA'A- June 23- A workshop on wise governance forum was concluded on Thursday in Sana'a involving many delegations from some Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The event was organized by the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

The forum, inaugurated by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar Parliament Speaker, reviewed a number of work papers on transparency and questioning and the experiences of the Arab country (Yemen), particularly the parliamentary aspects.

All the participants agreed on the establishment of a union association for MPs in the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabian Gulf, and volunteers can join the association.

The concluding statement of the forum stressed on the importance of maturing awareness of MPs in the region and training them how to play their role in auditing and quizzing the executive apparatuses.

Participants in the workshop listened to representatives of political parties at the Yemeni Parliament, mainly the ruling People's General Congress, the Islah and Nasserite parties.

The work papers made a mention of some obstacles hindering the parliamentary experience in the Arab countries and advocated for reforms in current systems of governance as well as amendment of laws to enable them to reach the wise governance and transparency as a cardinal principle for democratic governance.

A number of attendants emphasized that many parliaments in the Arab regions can not audit or quiz their governments since they are usually dominated by the ruling parties.

The attendants insisted on the importance of a balance inside the parliament and the participation of all the political forces in the parliament.

They believed that the parliament's efforts in monitoring are somehow incompetent and it is possible to make any change.
——
[archive-e:854-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-06-27-p:front]