Gurirab to visit Gaza

THE Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, is to travel to the Middle East on a fact-finding mission in his capacity as new president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

‘The IPU will assist the parliament in Palestine to become a fully functional institution. It will also investigate possibilities for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Office of the Palestinian Legislative Council which was destroyed during the (Israeli) attacks,’ Gurirab said in Geneva, Switzerland, during an extraordinary IPU executive committee meeting on Friday. ‘We have discussed the need for an IPU fact-finding mission. In order to prepare for this, I will shortly be travelling to the region to consult with the speakers of the Arab parliaments and with the leaders of the Palestinian and Israeli governments and parliaments. I will report on these consultations to the IPU governing bodies at their forthcoming session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,’ the Speaker said. He added that the IPU called for the immediate release of the parliamentarians of the Palestinian Legislative Council who have been detained by the Israeli authorities. ‘With regard to the deplorable situation in Gaza and the broader political crisis in the Middle East, I state the paramount objective of the IPU is the establishment of peace in the region, with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognised borders. ‘The IPU firmly believes that the only way to achieve this objective is through dialogue and negotiations, and never through the use of armed force and violence. We therefore call upon the parties to resume serious negotiations and reiterate our commitment to support all political initiatives to restart a dialogue. We support the legitimate government of Palestine and its elected parliament and efforts to unite the Palestinian people. It is imperative for them to speak with one voice as they move towards statehood.’ Gurirab added that it was imperative to alleviate the distress of the people of Gaza and attend to their urgent humanitarian needs. This requires a secure environment, open border crossings and humanitarian corridors. ‘We call on Israel to ensure that access to Gaza is predictable, regular and comprehensive,’ Gurirab said.