(April 22, 2007/ Rome, Italy) A strong contingent from the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats and CALD member and observer parties attended the 2nd Democrazia E Liberta-La Margherita National Congress and International Meeting on Towards a New Alliance of International Democrats from April 20 to 22 in Cinnecita Studios, the Italian capital’s the cinema center.
The “La-Margherita-Democracy is Freedom” is the centrist pillar of the Italian center-left coalition that currently rules the Italian government. The National Congress elected the party’s leadership and confirmed the establishment of Italian Democratic Party from the merger of the La Margherita with other political parties in The Olive Tree Coalition. The Democrtaic Party will be the most important and biggest party in Italy, with a key role in supporting the centre-left progressive government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
The head of this party is Hon. Francesco Rutelli who is also Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture.
Prime Minister Prodi and Mr. Rutelli were the major speakers during the congress on April 20.
On April 21, the roundtable International Meeting Towards a New Alliance of Democrats was conducted at the Fellini Hall of Cinecitta Studios. The roundtable, facilitated by Senator and Deputy Foreign Minister Gianni Venetti, featured speakers from Europe, Asia and South America.
The Asian speakers and participants include members and officials of CALD. They are Hon. Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of Democrat Party of Thailand and his colleague Sopha Sirichoke; former CALD Chairman Sam Rainsy, MP, leader of the Cambodian opposition; former Secretary (Minister) Rene Villa representing Philippine Senator, CALD Chairman and Liberal Party President Franklin Drilon; National Council of the Union of Burma Secretary General Maung Maung; Democratic Party of Hong Kong legislator James To; Democratic Party of Japan’s Shadow Foreign Minister Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi; and, CALD Executive Director John Coronel.
The other Asian speakers are Madame Jayanthi Natarajan, MP, Secretary General of the Indian National Congress and her colleague, State Legislator Anjali Rai; and Mr. Shukria Barakzai, President of Democratic and Progressist Parliamentary Group in Afghanistan.
Other speakers include Chilean Senator Ricardo Hormazabal; Andorran Foreign Minister and Liberal International Vice President Juli Minoves Triquell; Mr. Joseph Broz, Secretary General of Cesta Zmeny (Czech Republic); Mr. Josu Jon Imaz, President of PNV (Basque Country); and, Mr. Nicos Koutsou, Vice President of Europlako Comma (Cyprus) and EDP.
Three years ago, La Margherita promoted the new European Democratic Party with 10 political parties from Italy, Farnce, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania, Cyprus, Ireland, Czech Republic, Poland and Rumania. EDPS co-Presidents are Prime Minister Prodi and French Presidential candidate Francois Bayrou.
La Margherita co-founded the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Asia or ALDE, the biggest third force in the European Parliament. ALDE is a partner of CALD which only recently held a joint mission to Jakarta and Singapore.
CALD also participated in the Asia-Europe Strategic Partnership: The Future is Now, a dialogue between Asian and European Democrats hosted by EDP and La Margherita.
Categorised in: News Article
This post was written by CALD
Unit 409, 4/F La Fuerza Plaza 2, 2241 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Sabio St., 1231 Makati City, Philippines
+632 8819 60 71
info@cald.org
