Array ( [limit] => 9 [cat] => 36 [loop_posts] => Array ( [591] => Array ( [post_id] => 591 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 592 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/the-resilience-of-democracy-against-the-odds-in-the-ipu-perspective/ [post_title] => The Resilience of Democracy Against the Odds – The IPU Perspective [post_title_attribute] => The Resilience of Democracy Against the Odds – The IPU Perspective [post_excerpt] => [post_content] =>

On 6 January 2021, the world watched in horror as a mob waged an outrageous assault on the US Capitol building. Congress was in session, performing the usually calm and orderly ritual of confirming the election results and certifying the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Democracy was under actual, physical danger as parliamentarians took shelter wherever they could, many fearing for their lives.

Disbelief underscored the horror. The peaceful, post-election transfer of power is a linchpin of democratic systems. How could this occur in the United States, a nation many countries have looked to as a shining example of democracy? What did it mean for democratic ideals?

If anything, this affront to democracy exposed its true fragility - it cannot be taken for granted and must be protected and nurtured every day. If this could happen in the US, it could happen anywhere. The grim events in Myanmar serve as a reminder that progress towards building a democratic system can go into reverse.

But it also confirmed democracy’s resilience. Despite the attempt to usurp the electoral will of the people, democracy did not break. Its bedrock institutions and the rule of law prevailed. This resilience was immediately demonstrated when US parliamentarians reconvened a few hours later to perform their constitutional duty of counting electoral votes that confirmed the winners of the November presidential elections.

Democracy is the only system of governance that is self-correcting. The system bowed, but resisted, as proved by the subsequent inauguration and smooth transition of power on January 20. If it had been another system, the result may have been different.

What transpired after the storming of the US Capitol building goes to the heart of IPU’s mission to empower parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development. Our slogan is ‘For democracy, for everyone’, and it is helpful to revisit 1997, when IPU Member Parliaments adopted the Universal Declaration of Democracy. The twenty-seven-point affirmation underscores the strength of the democratic system of government as a universally recognized ideal based on common values shared by all people.

The Declaration came about during the Soviet empire’s slow implosion, when some analysts predicted the “end of history”. But new countries emerged from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere, as authoritarian regimes lost their superpower protection and collapsed. These changes often led to newly-formed democracies that better encompassed the desire by peoples for a more effective and equitable form of government.

The IPU empowers parliaments for democracy, and aims to safeguard parliamentarians everywhere, particularly through its unique mechanism to protect and defend them. As the assault on the US Congress showed, being a parliamentarian can be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. No legislator should fear for their life. No parliamentarian should have to shelter in their office from rioters.

Every year, the IPU witnesses more and more cases of parliamentarians in danger or being abused, usually those that are critical of the governing powers. And every year we see how democracy can triumph against the odds. It is a phoenix, constantly reborn, rising up again. It remains the ideal form of governance – of the people, for the people, and by the people.

The IPU is the only international parliamentary organization which tackles such issues, particularly through the continuous work of its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. The Committee calls for action, expresses concern and requests information, helping, at least, to prevent violations against the human rights of parliamentarian from going unnoticed.

We, as always, believe in the strength of democracy. For democracy. For everyone. 

Duarte Pacheco, IPU President
Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General 

[post_date_unix] => 1617625846 [post_date] => April 5, 2021 [post_modified] => April 5, 2021 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/parliamentnews360/ [post_author_name] => Clement Akoloh [post_author_email] => senaakoloh@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/the-resilience-of-democracy-against-the-odds-in-the-ipu-perspective/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) [588] => Array ( [post_id] => 588 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 589 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/ipu-leadership-meets-with-myanmar-parliamentarians/ [post_title] => IPU leadership meets with Myanmar Parliamentarians [post_title_attribute] => IPU leadership meets with Myanmar Parliamentarians [post_excerpt] => [post_content] =>

IPU President, Mr. Duarte Pacheco and IPU Secretary General, Mr. Martin Chungong met today a group of Myanmar parliamentarians elected in the general election of November 2020 but prevented from taking their seats in the new parliament following the military coup on 1 February 2021.

The parliamentarians are part of the newly formed 17-member Committee to Represent the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Union Assembly (CRPH). The CRPH represents some 400 parliamentarians elected in the November elections. Its objective is to carry out parliamentary functions despite the coup, and in circumstances where the parliamentarians are under close watch by the military and police. 

IPU President, Mr. Duarte Pacheco said “We express our solidarity with our elected parliamentary colleagues in Myanmar. The IPU is an organization of national parliaments dedicated to defending democracy and the human rights of parliamentarians. We call for respect of the rule of law, the constitution and the results of the November elections.”

IPU Secretary General, Mr. Martin Chungong said “The subversion of any democratic process is unacceptable, especially when it involves military repression of peaceful civil protests. The IPU stands ready to defend the physical and legal integrity of the Myanmar parliament and the human rights of its duly elected parliamentarians.”

The members of the CRPH thanked the IPU for its recent support, notably an IPU statement issued during the coup itself, on the day the new Parliament was due to convene for the first time.

The Myanmar parliamentarians spoke of the violence and destruction in the country, and of the damage to the state, already weakened by poverty and the pandemic.

The parliamentarians also asked the IPU to facilitate contacts with other parliaments with experience of conflict or constitutional crises who could support them and share their experiences.

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is closely monitoring the situation of several of the parliamentarians in Myanmar. The IPU Committee has received reports of human rights violations against 39 parliamentarians, including threats, acts of intimidation, arbitrary arrest and detention and failure of the authorities to respect parliamentary immunity.

The IPU Committee will issue its full report on the human rights situation of the Myanmar parliamentarians shortly.

[post_date_unix] => 1617623220 [post_date] => April 5, 2021 [post_modified] => April 5, 2021 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/parliamentnews360/ [post_author_name] => Clement Akoloh [post_author_email] => senaakoloh@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/ipu-leadership-meets-with-myanmar-parliamentarians/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) [585] => Array ( [post_id] => 585 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 586 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/abuse-against-parliamentarians-increases-sharply-ipu-reports/ [post_title] => Abuse Against Parliamentarians Increases Sharply – IPU Reports [post_title_attribute] => Abuse Against Parliamentarians Increases Sharply – IPU Reports [post_excerpt] => [post_content] =>

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is monitoring a record 601 cases of alleged violations against parliamentarians around the world. This represents a significant uptick compared to 552 cases in December 2020. The caseload includes many new claims, particularly from Myanmar and Turkey.

The committee took decisions on these and a number of other cases of alleged abuse of parliamentarians in Afghanistan, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Eritrea, Gabon, Mauritania, Mongolia, Thailand, Togo and Venezuela.

Myanmar

Since the military coup in February 2021, the IPU’s human rights committee has received specific reports of human rights violations against 39 parliamentarians elected in the November 2020 ballot. The violations include threats, acts of intimidation, arbitrary arrest and the failure of the authorities to respect parliamentary immunity.

The alleged violations are taking place against the backdrop of the lethal and large-scale use of military force against civilians, with particular bloodshed on Saturday, 27 March.

The IPU is particularly concerned for the welfare of the parliamentarians who constitute the newly formed 17-member Committee to Represent the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Union Assembly (CRPH). The CRPH represents some 400 parliamentarians. Its objective is to carry out parliamentary functions despite the coup, and in circumstances where Myanmar parliamentarians are under close watch by the military and the police. 

The military have declared the CRPH illegal and said that its members could face charges of high treason under Myanmar law, punishable by death or up to 22 years of imprisonment. All 17 CRPH members have gone into hiding, fearing reprisals by the military.

Last week, IPU leadership spoke with some of the CRPH parliamentarians to find out more about their circumstances and how to support them.

The IPU is also contacting the military authorities to urge them to respect the basic human rights of all the elected parliamentarians and to request more information concerning their situation.

Turkey

The IPU human rights committee has examined the cases of 64 parliamentarians from Turkey, of whom 30 are women. Over 600 criminal and terrorism charges have been brought against parliamentarians from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (HDP) since 15 December 2015, when the Constitution was amended to lift their parliamentary immunity.

As a result, hundreds of trial proceedings are ongoing throughout the country against both current and former HDP parliamentarians.

Since November 2016, many parliamentarians have been detained and others have gone into exile. Thirteen current and former parliamentarians are currently in prison.

According to the reports received by the IPU, the charges against the HDP members of parliament are politically motivated and violate their rights to freedom of expression and of assembly.

In a recent development, Turkey’s top prosecutor filed an indictment seeking the dissolution of the HDP. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is concerned that this would not only deprive the HDP parliamentarians of their right to participate in public life, but also their electorate of representation in the Turkish parliament.

The IPU is working closely with the Turkish Inter-Parliamentary Group to find solutions to the impasse.

Venezuela

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians continues to monitor the cases of 139 opposition parliamentarians elected in the 2015 National Assembly, of whom 41 are women.

Almost all the parliamentarians have been attacked or otherwise intimidated during demonstrations, inside parliament or in their homes.

At least 11 National Assembly members were arrested and later released, reportedly following politically motivated legal proceedings. In all of the cases, the members were detained without respect for their parliamentary immunity. There are also serious concerns regarding due process and their treatment in detention.

According to information received by the IPU, at least 17 parliamentarians have gone into exile, sought the protection of foreign embassies in Caracas or gone into hiding due to continued harassment. Six have been barred from holding public office. Another 28 parliamentarians are subject to ongoing proceedings to prevent them from holding public office. At least 13 members of parliament are unable to secure passports, reportedly to prevent them from criticizing the government from abroad.

The alleged violations take place in the context of continuous harassment by the government to undermine the opposition members of the National Assembly elected in 2015.

[post_date_unix] => 1617621118 [post_date] => April 5, 2021 [post_modified] => April 5, 2021 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/parliamentnews360/ [post_author_name] => Clement Akoloh [post_author_email] => senaakoloh@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/abuse-against-parliamentarians-increases-sharply-ipu-reports/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) [345] => Array ( [post_id] => 345 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 331 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/watch-awesome-kate-manner-go-full-dancing-pro-in-peru-this-week/ [post_title] => Watch Awesome Kate Manner Go Full Dancing Pro in Peru this Week [post_title_attribute] => Watch Awesome Kate Manner Go Full Dancing Pro in Peru this Week [post_excerpt] => [post_content] => People live better in big houses and in big clothes. I try to contrast life today is full of contrast. We have to change! I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.

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There has to be a balance between your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your company. A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. I can design a collection in a day and I always do, cause I've always got a load of Italians on my back, moaning that it's late. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. I never look at other people's work. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Luxury will be always around, no matter what happens in the world. There is always the new project, the new opportunity. Attention to detail is of utmost importance when you want to look good. I have a fantastic relationship with money. I use it to buy my freedom.

Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. Clothes can transform your mood and confidence

Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good. Abstinence from coffee, tobacco, and alcohol by many Adventists has afforded a near-unique opportunity for studies to be conducted within that population group on the health effects of coffee drinking, free from confounding factors. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, very now no one wears head-to-toe designer anymore. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don't like things to be staged or fussy. I think I'd go mad if I didn't have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that's what your brand is about. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. [post_date_unix] => 1608345685 [post_date] => December 19, 2020 [post_modified] => December 19, 2020 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/p360/ [post_author_name] => p360 [post_author_email] => maddiiana@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/watch-awesome-kate-manner-go-full-dancing-pro-in-peru-this-week/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) [342] => Array ( [post_id] => 342 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 330 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/the-travel-insurance-catch-that-can-double-your-cover-in-two-months/ [post_title] => The Travel Insurance Catch that can Double Your Cover in Two Months [post_title_attribute] => The Travel Insurance Catch that can Double Your Cover in Two Months [post_excerpt] => [post_content] => People live better in big houses and in big clothes. I try to contrast life today is full of contrast. We have to change! I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.

the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, no one wears head to toe designer anymore

There has to be a balance between your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your company. A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. I can design a collection in a day and I always do, cause I've always got a load of Italians on my back, moaning that it's late. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. I never look at other people's work. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Luxury will be always around, no matter what happens in the world. There is always the new project, the new opportunity. Attention to detail is of utmost importance when you want to look good. I have a fantastic relationship with money. I use it to buy my freedom.

Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. Clothes can transform your mood and confidence

Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good. Abstinence from coffee, tobacco, and alcohol by many Adventists has afforded a near-unique opportunity for studies to be conducted within that population group on the health effects of coffee drinking, free from confounding factors. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, very now no one wears head-to-toe designer anymore. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don't like things to be staged or fussy. I think I'd go mad if I didn't have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that's what your brand is about. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. [post_date_unix] => 1608345684 [post_date] => December 19, 2020 [post_modified] => December 19, 2020 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/p360/ [post_author_name] => p360 [post_author_email] => maddiiana@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/the-travel-insurance-catch-that-can-double-your-cover-in-two-months/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) [343] => Array ( [post_id] => 343 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 337 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/the-weirdest-places-ashes-have-been-scattered-in-south-america/ [post_title] => The Weirdest Places Ashes Have Been Scattered in South America [post_title_attribute] => The Weirdest Places Ashes Have Been Scattered in South America [post_excerpt] => [post_content] => People live better in big houses and in big clothes. I try to contrast life today is full of contrast. We have to change! I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.

the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, no one wears head to toe designer anymore

There has to be a balance between your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your company. A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. I can design a collection in a day and I always do, cause I've always got a load of Italians on my back, moaning that it's late. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. I never look at other people's work. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Luxury will be always around, no matter what happens in the world. There is always the new project, the new opportunity. Attention to detail is of utmost importance when you want to look good. I have a fantastic relationship with money. I use it to buy my freedom.

Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. Clothes can transform your mood and confidence

Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good. Abstinence from coffee, tobacco, and alcohol by many Adventists has afforded a near-unique opportunity for studies to be conducted within that population group on the health effects of coffee drinking, free from confounding factors. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, very now no one wears head-to-toe designer anymore. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don't like things to be staged or fussy. I think I'd go mad if I didn't have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that's what your brand is about. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. [post_date_unix] => 1608345684 [post_date] => December 19, 2020 [post_modified] => December 19, 2020 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/p360/ [post_author_name] => p360 [post_author_email] => maddiiana@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/the-weirdest-places-ashes-have-been-scattered-in-south-america/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) [344] => Array ( [post_id] => 344 [post_type] => post [has_post_thumbnail] => 1 [post_thumbnail_id] => 338 [post_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/these-fabulous-photos-will-have-astonishing-impact-for-any-campaign/ [post_title] => These Fabulous Photos Will Have Astonishing Impact for Any Campaign [post_title_attribute] => These Fabulous Photos Will Have Astonishing Impact for Any Campaign [post_excerpt] => [post_content] => People live better in big houses and in big clothes. I try to contrast life today is full of contrast. We have to change! I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.

the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, no one wears head to toe designer anymore

There has to be a balance between your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your company. A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. I can design a collection in a day and I always do, cause I've always got a load of Italians on my back, moaning that it's late. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. I never look at other people's work. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Give me time and I'll give you a revolution. I can't get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it's just crass. Luxury will be always around, no matter what happens in the world. There is always the new project, the new opportunity. Attention to detail is of utmost importance when you want to look good. I have a fantastic relationship with money. I use it to buy my freedom.

Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. Clothes can transform your mood and confidence

Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good. Abstinence from coffee, tobacco, and alcohol by many Adventists has afforded a near-unique opportunity for studies to be conducted within that population group on the health effects of coffee drinking, free from confounding factors. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, very now no one wears head-to-toe designer anymore. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don't like things to be staged or fussy. I think I'd go mad if I didn't have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that's what your brand is about. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. [post_date_unix] => 1608345684 [post_date] => December 19, 2020 [post_modified] => December 19, 2020 [post_author_url] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/author/p360/ [post_author_name] => p360 [post_author_email] => maddiiana@gmail.com [post_comments_no] => 0 [post_comments_link] => https://parliamentnews360.com/index.php/these-fabulous-photos-will-have-astonishing-impact-for-any-campaign/#respond [post_theme_settings] => Array ( ) ) ) [loop_pagination] => Array ( [pagenavi_options] => Array ( [pages_text] => Page %CURRENT_PAGE% of %TOTAL_PAGES% [current_text] => %PAGE_NUMBER% [page_text] => %PAGE_NUMBER% [first_text] => 1 [last_text] => %TOTAL_PAGES% [next_text] => [prev_text] => [dotright_text] => ... [dotleft_text] => ... [num_pages] => 3 [always_show] => 1 ) [paged] => 1 [max_page] => 1 [start_page] => 1 [end_page] => 1 [pages_to_show] => 3 [previous_posts_link] => [next_posts_link] => ) [category_id] => 36 )