Fiji re-admitted into Inter-Parliamentary Union

By Joyce Namutebi        

FIJI has been re-admitted into the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), eight years since its expulsion from the global organisation of national parliaments.

Fiji’s re-admission at the opening session of IPU’s 133rd Assembly in Geneva on Sunday increases the organization’s membership to 167 national parliaments.

Fiji had first joined IPU in 1997. However, a military coup in 2006, the fourth since 1970, had led to the dissolution of parliament and Fiji’s formal expulsion from the Organization in 2007. Parliamentary elections in 2014 ended an eight-year transition period and paved the way for Fiji to re-join IPU, a press release issued from Geneva said.

IPU welcomed Fiji’s readmission describing it as a significant step forward in ongoing efforts to cement democracy in the country and in IPU’s engagement with parliaments from Pacific Ocean Island nations.

“We are delighted to have Fiji back in the IPU fold. It will not only allow Fijians to have a voice in international decision-making through their elected representatives, but it also underlines IPU’s commitment to supporting parliaments in the Pacific region to be more effective in fulfilling their democratic mandate,” said IPU President Saber Chowdhury.

More than 670 MPs from 134 countries, including 94 Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Parliament are attending the 133rd IPU Assembly, which concludes tomorrow (October 21).

The many facets and challenges of migration, counter-terrorism, and the threat to democracy and individual privacy in the digital age are among key issues being addressed by the Assembly.

IPU, a global organization of national parliaments, works to safeguard peace and drives positive democratic change through political dialogue and concrete action.

Fiji, a country in the South Pacific, is an archipelago of more than 300 islands. It's famed for its rugged landscape of blue lagoons and palm-lined beaches, and eco-activities such as mountain climbing and surfing.