SAARC Charter to stop grabbing of power finalised

Monday, 06 September 2010
Diplomatic Correspondent

Representatives of eight SAARC member-states have finalised the draft of ‘SAARC Charter of Democracy’ which underlines the centrality of democracy for the preservation of development and human rights. The draft was finalised at the end of a two-day inter-governmental meeting in the capital on Sunday.
According to a decision of the last SAARC summit in Thimpu, Bangladesh hosted the meeting to formulate the charter to strengthen democracy in the SAARC region and forge a collective response to the extra-constitutional seizure of state power.
The official sources say, this is the first time the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has adopted such a political decision.
The draft now will go to the SAARC standing committee meeting scheduled to be held in December in Thimpu. “It can even be placed before the council of ministers (foreign ministers) meeting, if there is an agreement then the draft
proposal will go straight to
the SAARC summit meeting in the Maldives,” the official added.
“The charter may not bear immediate results but it is significant for protecting and strengthening democracy at the national and regional level in the future,” the official observed.
He said if the charter is adopted, SAARC would at least create pressure on the rulers in the event of usurpation of state power. Two of its members - Pakistan and Bangladesh have been at the receiving end for the last several decades.
However, sources say, the member states have decided not to make public the draft charter before December’s meeting keeping in mind the sensitivities of the two of the eight members of the multilateral body.
Meanwhile, foreign secretary Mijarul Quayes told reporters that the proposed charter would strengthen SAARC in the future as development and democratic governance were closely linked.
“Today, we have built an excellent foundation of democratic commitment in the South Asian region. We have adopted a clean draft of the charter on democracy,” Quayes, who chaired the meet, told journalists at a city hotel.
Declining to elaborate on the draft charter Quayes said that issues such as military takeover, human rights, freedom, secularism and other relevant matters have been included in the final draft.
Justifying the charter of democracy, Director General (SAARC) of Bangladesh foreign ministry Sufiur Rahman said democracy and development are closely linked with the vision of SAARC as it was
created with the aim of improving the quality of lives of its people.