People's Democracy

  Hasim Abdul Halim Wins CPA Election

SPEAKER of the Bengal assembly and a state committee member of the CPI(M), Hasim Abdul Halim won the elections held recently at Nadi in Fiji for the post of the chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). 

Halim defeated his only rival Geoffrey Henry of the Cook Islands by 188 to 73 votes during the 51st annual conference of the CPA, which saw Somnath Chatterjee, speaker of the Lok Sabha, emerge as the winner for the post of vice-president of the CPA.

On the eve of the election as per tradition, Halim and Henry were given a space of ten minutes each to explain the reasons why and for whom the electorate should vote.  Halim’s speech about the role that his country could play in international politics towards bringing amity and peace was met with a rousing approval.  (INN)