ABU DHABI // The speakers of the Gulf parliaments and national assemblies have declined a UAE proposal to speed up the creation of a GCC parliament. Mohammed al Mazrouei, Secretary General of the Federal National Council, said yesterday the speakers felt it was still too early to talk about creating a common parliament. However, the speakers, attending the final day of a two-day meeting in Muscat, agreed to form a committee to better co-ordinate the activities of the six bodies.
"This committee is to co-ordinate in inter-parliamentary issues and also to co-ordinate our positions when taking part in international events," he said by telephone from the Omani capital. It was the second time the speakers have met, and Mr Mazrouei said they now plan to get together more regularly. GCC leaders are also scheduled to meet in Muscat on Sunday for the annual meeting of the bloc's Supreme Council. Among other things, they are expected to discuss the international financial crisis and plummeting oil prices, as well as the possibility of establishing a unified central bank.
Abdul Aziz al Ghurair, the FNC Speaker, said the Emirati proposal to form two inter-parliamentary committees to serve as a starting point for establishing a GCC parliament would still be on the agenda at their meeting next year. He told WAM, the state news agency, that it took Europe "many years" before they were able to create an EU parliament. There have been several calls for a GCC parliament over the past few years. Some officials have suggested the current advisory body to the GCC Supreme Council could serve as the cornerstone of such a body.
The UAE believes that forming a regional parliament would help in drafting more uniform laws as the GCC countries contemplate steps to further shore up their union. Bahrain first proposed a discussion on the creation of such a body in 2004 but no concrete steps have been taken yet. mhabboush@thenational.ae
