Andhra Pradesh   

West Bengal Speaker to contest Commonwealth post

S. Nagesh Kumar

HYDERABAD: A contest is in the offing for the Chairmanship of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association when it begins its 51st conference in the Fiji Islands on September 4.

The election is interesting from India's standpoint since West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim is making an attempt to head the prestigious CPA. If he succeeds, he will be the second Indian after Mr. Balram Jakhar, the then Lok Sabha Speaker, to hold the key post.

Mr. Jakhar served a three-year term after winning a closely contested election in 1984 by a single vote.

With nearly 23 years of experience behind him as a presiding officer, Mr. Halim is said to be the favourite for the post. Sixty-five countries are represented in the CPA but the number of voters is 310.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy will be part of a delegation leaving India on August 27, ahead of the five-day conference, to canvass support for Mr. Halim.

The team will visit Australia and New Zealand, which, along with the United Kingdom, are among the important Commonwealth nations, which are yet to disclose their preferences.

Mr. Halim has been active in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for long and has headed several important panels, including one on environmental issues, Mr. Reddy told The Hindu on Friday.

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