Mideast crisis may cloud IPU meeting
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid is due to open the 104th conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) this evening under the cloud of the Middle East crisis.
Even before the official start of the proceedings, the heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians are already grabbing the attention of arriving delegates of the weeklong conference.
The Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip is expected to be discussed generally by the majority of the 120 attending delegations, competing with the conference's two main themes -- preventing military coups against democratically elected governments; and the financing of development and a new paradigm to eradicate poverty.
The Indonesian delegation, which comprises 27 members, is already lobbying for a resolution to be passed to condemn Israel.
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who will chair the proceedings, and IPU President Najma Heptulla told journalists that Morocco and Algeria had already proposed additional agendas concerning the Middle East.
Morocco has proposed a topic on the role of the parliament to end the Middle East confrontation, while Algeria has put forward an agenda focussing on the respect for the Geneva Convention as an effort to protect the Palestinian civilian population.
At least one of the additional agendas is expected to be adopted by the some 1,300 attending delegates on Monday.
Formed in 1889, the IPU currently comprises 138 national parliaments. Indonesia officially became a member in 1959.
Indonesia's hosting of the biannual event marks a positive milestone, especially as it coincides with the democratic reforms which have occurred in the past two years.
It is also particularly poignant as Indonesia has seen a rebirth of a more invigorated "parliament" which was elected in one of its most democratic elections ever to be held.
Akbar has said that the convening of the conference here would help improve Indonesia's battered image.
The head of the organizing committee, Sri Sumarjati, said the decision to convene the meeting here was taken by the IPU in Moscow in 1998, following the political changes which occurred in Indonesia.
"Earlier bids were rejected for political reasons," said Sri Sumarjati who is also the House's secretary-general.
Divide
But rather than the issues of democracy, the lead-up to the conference has been dominated by the Middle Eastern issue and growing resentment toward Israel.
Indonesia remains a staunch defender of the rights of the Palestinian people and does not recognize the Jewish state.
Even before the latest incident occurred, Akbar admitted that he was wary of the potential controversy over the planned arrival of the Israeli Knesset delegation.
Akbar at the time maintained that as a member of the IPU, Indonesia could not reject their attendance.
But the sudden cancellation of the Israeli delegation's attendance for the conference in the midst of rising tensions in the Middle East and growing anti-Israeli demonstrations here, helped Akbar avoid a politically delicate situation.
Earlier in the week several Muslim-based factions in the House said they would boycott the conference if the Israeli delegation attended.
Israel's defense ministry on Friday also issued a travel warning which included Indonesia.
"The risk of attacks in Israel and abroad has increased strongly and (we) recommend the population to refrain from visiting Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Indonesia," said the statement issued by the defense ministry's antiterrorism council.
Another delicate issue is whether the Israeli flag will be flown beside other IPU member flags.
Akbar revealed that as a result of the cancellation, one of the topics of the conference -- on closing the technological and digital divide between industrialized and emerging nations -- will not be discussed as the subject was proposed by Israel. (jun/mds)