IPU Conference Participants: Probe Middle East Bloody IncidentThree initiators of resolution on the current tension in the Middle East in the 104th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference Tuesday proposed the establishment of international independent team to probe into the bloody incident during which over 100 lives were lost.The initiators, namely Indonesia, Algeria and Morocco have reached an agreement on Tuesday to propose draft of the resolution containing at least six points. "We propose six points that must be included in the resolution," said Djoko Susilo, Indonesian member in the IPU special committee in charge of drafting the resolution. The committee has 11 members, namely Morocco, Algeria, Indonesia, Mali, Thailand, Germany, France, El Salvador, Russia, Nigeria and Uruguay. Elaborating the motion, Susilo said among the proposed points are the condemnation of Ariel Sharon -- an Israeli hardliner, the denouncing of atrocities by Israeli authority against Palestinians, and the setting up of an international investigation team into the incident. "The United Nations should soon establish the team," Susilo said, adding that the deliberation of the draft is now under way, and "we hope it could be completed as of today and expected to be endorsed by the IPU plenary session on Friday". Earlier, delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic proposed that the resolution should clearly mention "who is responsible for the incident, who is responsible for the demolition of Palestinians, and who is responsible for the protracted bloodshed in the Middle East". Speaker of the Indonesian parliament Akbar Tandjung Monday said Indonesia has received supports from a lot of IPU members countries for the passage of the resolution. The final draft of the motion, which was submitted as "an emergency item", must secure the support of four-fifths of the votes cast. The number of votes which each delegation can cast differs. Each country has a basic allocation of 10 votes. However, the total number of votes which a country can cast is based on the population of that country. China and India have the largest number of votes with 24 each. Indonesia has 22 votes. The IPU conference, which was opened by President Abdurrahman Wahid here on Sunday, is being attended by about 1,200 lawmakers from 120 countries. |
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