Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Ahmed Nazim has called for greater transparency, accountability and integrity in governance. He made the remarks while addressing the First Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Asia and Southeast Asia Regional Conference.
The CPA regional conference brings together representatives of the parliaments of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) member states in the region to discuss and strengthen cooperation among legislative bodies. The conference focuses on key regional and global issues.
The Maldives’ Deputy Speaker Nazim was elected as the Regional Representative of the CPA for Asia at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) held in Sydney, Australia.
Addressing the CPA Regional Conference, Deputy Speaker Nazim highlighted the basic characteristics of good governance. He stressed the importance of transparency, accountability to the people, maintaining an independent media environment and maintaining democratic principles and called on member state lawmakers to adhere to such principles.
The Minister also spoke on the importance of strengthening the integrity of institutions, independent exchange of information and providing opportunities for dialogue, and urged to give special priorities for these sectors.
"Let us take advantage of this conference to share our experiences as lawmakers and find robust solutions to strengthen our countries' democratic institutions, ensure media freedom, and uphold good governance. The substantive changes that will emergence from dialogue will not only positively impact our countries but the whole region as a whole,” Nazim said in his address.
Nazim added that the rising populism in the political arena, the spread of misinformation and challenges to democratic principles are matters of great concern. He called for collective action to address and overcome such issues. He also highlighted the economic disparities among countries, and challenges to good governance due to security threats, terrorism and international relations.