I N T E R V I E W Libreville Seminar on relations between majority and minority parties in African parliaments By Luisa Ballin The Inter-Parliamentary Union organised from 17 to 19 May 1999 in Libreville, at the invitation of the National Assembly of Gabon and with the financial support of UNDP, a Parliamentary Seminar on Relations Between Majority and Minority Parties in African Parliaments. The Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Anders B. Johnsson, explained the high points of this meeting. Q: Why this seminar? Anders B. Johnsson: Most African parliaments have only had a multiparty system for a scant decade. As this experience is relatively recent, it was time to assess the situation, in the light of the difficulties which remain in certain countries when it comes to reaching an understanding on working relations between the opposition and the majority. Q: Who took part in this seminar? ABJ: More than 200 MPs, from both the majority and the opposition, from 22 English-speaking, French-speaking, Portuguese-speaking and Arabic-speaking African countries. The seminar made it possible to draw up a sort of inventory on the existing balance of power between opposition and majority. There was an extremely interesting and very open debate, which helped us to become aware of the problems that MPs in these countries must face. Q: Can this seminar have a concrete effect on political life in Africa? ABJ: Yes. At the close of the debate, the parliamentarians unanimously adopted Model Guidelines for the Opposition, a document which maps out the responsibilities and duties of the opposition in carrying out its work. More and more African parliaments are giving thought to introducing such guidelines for the opposition. This document therefore makes a significant contribution. One thing did strike me though: during the discussions, the participants referred to the growing number of MPs who change political parties, a move which sometimes leads to the loss of their mandate. This runs counter to the free mandate of a member of parliament, as enshrined in parliamentary law. This is a recent and rather worrying problem which should be studied in greater depth. Q: Are you planning on holding similar seminars in other parts of the world? ABJ: This is what the MPs have recommended, and if it were up to us, we would be happy to do so. But I feel that this topic would also be ideal for a world specialised conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in the years to come. Q: Did women attend the seminar? ABJ: Yes, and there were proportionately more women in Libreville than there are in African parliaments at present. The seminar participants included women opposition MPs and Speakers of Parliament. I believe that both men and women MPs realise that when we speak of ensuring that the people participate in political life, we are not only referring to the participation of so-called minority parties but also - and perhaps above all - to the participation of women.

Co-operation agreement between ILO and the Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are to step up their co-operation through the signature of an Agreement of Co-operation, which is to take place this Thursday, 27 March at 10.30 a.m., in the Cabinet of the ILO Director General. This Agreement is to be signed by the Director General of ILO, Mr. Juan Somavia, the President of the Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Mr. Miguel Angel Martínez, and the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson (see also press release N° 77 for further details). Women enter politics in Kuwait Kuwait decided on Sunday, 16 May to grant women the right to vote and to stand for election - a revolution in the Gulf - but only from the year 2003, thus barring them from the early general elections of 3 July (AFP). The IPU is especially pleased at this news as one of its priorities is promoting partnership between men and women in politics. "The achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarity, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences", as stated in paragraph 4 of the Universal Declaration on Democracy, of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, adopted in 1997. Membership Liberia and Burundi became members of the IPU at the 101st Inter-Parliamentary Conference, held in Brussels from 10 to 16 April 1999, which brings to 138 the number of parliaments affiliated to the IPU. The European Parliament became the fifth Associate Member of the IPU.

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