EMN
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 19
Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker Chotisuh Sazo and Deputy Speaker Er. Levi Rengma along with their lady wives retuned Nagaland today after attending 60th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Yaounde, Cameroon. The conference was held from October 2 to 10 under the aegis of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) with the theme “Repositioning the commonwealth for the post 2015 development agenda.”
On their arrival at Dimapur Airport, which was received by NLA secretary A.E Lotha and others, Sazo said the conference witnessed the participation of 53 countries from 9 different regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, British Islands & Mediterranean, Canada, Caribbean, Americas & Atlantic, India & Pacific and South East Asia.
He said the conference consist of various committee meetings, plenary sessions, conference tours, tours of spouses and workshop on various topics.
Among the many topics covered in the conference included; women’s right and role of parliamentarian in gender empowerment, 2015 development agenda against the standards set out in the commonwealth charter, good governance for 21st century, parliament role to ensure young people are placed at the centre of sustainable development and role of Parliament in providing for the most vulnerable in society.
During the conference, Bangladesh speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was elected as the new chairperson of CPA.
Sazo said the conference was hosted by Cameroon and their President and head of the state where Paul Biya who is also vice patron of CPA addressed over 600 delegates.
Biya exhorted national and international political leaders on the need to work for the good of the people, “for a shared development.â€
Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong who was one of the keynote speakers said the role of women in the shaping of policies and the improvement of life in communities can no longer be sidelined.
Among the important resolution arrived at the conference were; the regional group meetings centred on how to step up employment, reduce poverty and transformed 2015 development agenda into reality.
After the conference, as per the tradition of CPA, Sazo said they visited other countries such as Israel, Switzerland and Netherland to acquaint themselves with the parliamentary system and other developmental activities of those countries.
“It was very interesting, refreshing and educative tour” said Er. Levi.
He said that apart from attending the conference, he came to know from the other countries about the tourism industry which plays main factor in boosting their economy.
He also felt Nagaland can also become an important tourist spot and this can be possible when the people change their mindset.
Meanwhile, Sazo and Er. Levi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rt. Hon. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha speaker, chief minister T.R. Zeliang, officers and staff of NLA, the Indian Ambassies of Cameroon, Israel, Turkey, Switzerland and Netherland for sanctioning and making all necessary arrangement towards a successful, comfortable and educative tour.
Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker Chotisuh Sazo and Deputy Speaker Er. Levi Rengma met Union Minister of State for Home Kirren Rejiju in connection with trashing up of two Naga boys and killing of one Mizo woman in Delhi. The duo visited the victims from Nagaland and met few other students’ leaders.
Briefing media persons at Hotel Saramati in Dimapur on Sunday, Sazo said they apprised Rejiju about the problems faced by the people of north eastern states in various cities and suggested to him that if a special force/police can be recruited exclusively from northeastern states to protect NE people from such harassment and also to build confidence in the mind of the people coming from NE region.
“We appreciated his (Rejiju) concern about our people and his personal involvement in such a cases and also requested to play a role how to create awareness among our people and plan strategies to change of the attitude of the so called mainland Indian towards the northeast people in which a collective efforts of all the northeastern states is being required,” Sazo said.
NLA Speaker said that they also met North east MP Forum secretary general Prem Das Rai and requested him that all the North East MPs should come together irrespective of party line and plan strategies as to how to contain or prevent the prevailing problems being faced by the north east people and also to discuss about the other developmental activities.
