issue 57
- Secretary General resigned
- Matti Vanhanen announced four party coalition
- President Wade re-appointed government
- Estonia Liberal Prime Minster formed government
- Senator Drilon retains LP leadership
- Liberals denied to speak in Singapore
- Kóka Statement
- New Regional Officer at LI
Secretary General resigned
The Secretary General of Liberal International has resigned to take up a post at the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy.
Jasper Veen: “I do so with a heavy heart as I hold the organisation very dear. I would like to thank the President, Lord Alderdice, and the rest of the Bureau for the trust, support and cooperation they have shown me during my term as Secretary General, as well as before, at Liberal International. I would also like to thank all my colleagues and friends from our member parties and cooperating organisations and I wish Liberal International all the best for a bright and even more successful future. I look forward to our cooperation, still, in the future.”
Lord Alderdice: “I am of course not at all surprised that Jasper Veen has received a good job offer from the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy , nor that he is keen to return home to the Netherlands to take up such an excellent post. Both are entirely understandable, and indeed I congratulate Jasper on his success and wish him well. I have no doubt that his considerable international experience in Liberal International will continue to be put to good use, but I do regret that this benefit to others means a premature and severe loss to Liberal International.”
Matti Vanhanen announced four party coalition
Helsinki, Finland
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has announced that his Centre Party would form a center-right government with the conservative National Coalition Party, the Greens and the Swedish People's Party on 18 April. Despite a loss of 4 seats, the centre party remains the largest with 25.5%. The National Coalition Party has 25% seats, both of them will have 8 ministers. The Swedish People's Party (4.5%) and the Green League (7.5% seats) will have two ministers each. The majority of the cabinet members are female, 12 out of 20.
President Wade re-appointed government
Dakar, Senegal
Dakar, Senegal
No significant change was made to the Senegalese government. President Wade re-appointed the Prime Minister, Mr El Hadji Macky Sall, and congratulated him and all his government. This status quo will continue till the parliamentarian elections next 3rd of June.
Estonia Liberal Prime Minster formed government
Tallin, Estonia
On March 4, 2007, Andrus Ansip's Reform Party won 27 percent of the vote in the Estonian parliamentary elections, raising its mandate in the Riigikogu to 31 seats out of 101 from 19. Ansip personally received over 22,500 votes, the highest ever by any parliamentary candidate in the history of independent Estonia. A coalition government is formed a coalition with Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit (Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, 19 seats) and Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond (Social Democratic Party,10 seats). His second term as Prime Minister began on April 5, 2007. ELDR member party “Centre Paty”, part of the previous government will be in opposition.
Senator Drilon retains LP leadership
MANILA, Philippines
The Supreme Court has ruled that Senator Franklin Drilon is the legitimate president of the Liberal Party on 17 April 2007. This decision affirmed Drilon's claim that the Salonga Constitution of the LP has been amended in which the election of the senator as party president was legal and that his term would have ended on 30 November 2007.
'We feel vindicated. We are elated by the Supreme Court decision upholding the legitimate leadership of the Liberal Party and we hope this will signal the long-awaited reunification of the second oldest political party of the country,' Senator Drilon said in a statement. The court decision is expected to pave the way for the designation of LP as one of six major political parties in the May 14 polls, entitling it to a copy of election returns and the right to field watchers and inspectors.
Liberals denied to speak in Singapore
Singapore
Members of a joint EU-Asia Parliamentary mission to Indonesia and Singapore have been denied a permit to speak in public in Singapore. The mission of delegates was to discuss the development of democracy in Asia and Europe on Friday, 13 April, along with members of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). The SDP was informed on 12 April that permission has not been granted for non-Singaporeans to speak.
Graham Watson MEP, Leader of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) expressed his surprise at the decision. “Our mission will meet the Deputy Speaker of Singapore's Parliament this afternoon. We have followed all the normal procedures, our co-operation with Liberal and Democratic parties in Asia has grown out of the work of the Asia-Europe Foundation, based in Singapore, and I am therefore particularly surprised and disappointed at this decision.” Congresswoman R. Abad added, “We regret that this is misconstrued as being interference into Singaporean internal affairs.”
The delegates included Graham Watson (group leader), Ignasi Guardans, Eugenijus Gentvilas, Fiona Hall, Jules Maaten, Lydie Polfer, Anders Samuelsen from ALDE and from Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), Henedina R. Abad from Philippines and Saumura Tiouloung from Cambodia.
Kóka Statement
Budapest, Hungary
The Alliance of Free Democrats, the Hungarian Liberal Party, elected János Kóka for its new leader at an extraordinary congress on 31 March 2007. The entirely open contest of the leadership was conducted between János Kóka (aged 35), the Minister of Economy and Transport since 2004, MP since 2006, and Gábor Fodor (aged 43) Member of the Party's Executive Board since 1996, MP since 1994. The campaign began after Gábor Kuncze announced that after his 6-year-long presidency he would not stand for the elections at the end of 2006.
János Kóka's campaign statement was centered on the ideas of success, self-reliance and the importance of liberal market-economy. He also believes that modernising the Party's structure will result in more efficient operation, and strongly trusts that there are further opportunities for liberalism in the country as well. The party aims to reach out more voters by the 2010 elections.
New Regional Officer at LI
Jochem de Groot has been the personal assistant of former Foreign Minister van Aartsen and policy advisor on Foreign and European Affairs. He has a master in Islamic studies (cum laude) and a master in sociology. He speaks fluent French, English and basic Spanish, Moroccan and Arabic. He has lived for 5 years in Morocco where he obtained an International Baccalaureate-diploma. He has attended both LI and ELDR events in the past. Jochem will start working at LI from 21 May 2007