Page 90 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

Building the Tools of Democracy

and Citizen Engagement

It is a distinct honour and privilege for me to be here in this beautiful city of Vancouver for
the 24 Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. I would like to express my
th
sincere thanks to the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada for the cordial welcome
extended to my delegation and me.

Allow me to also extend my highest appreciation to the Parliament, Government, and people
of Canada under the leadership of the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for welcoming the Syrian
refugee in a humane and noble manners. On this note, I would like to clearly highlight that
recent heinous act of terrorism which happened in some countries, including in Jakarta-
Indonesia, should not be defeating our democracy. Terrorism will only undermine the level of
democracy. Therefore, I believe that strengthening of law enforcement to fight against terrorism
is significant for stability of democracy in this region.

In recent decades, the Asia-Pacific region has made steady gains in political rights and civil
liberties. It has also achieved impressive progress in the development of political institutions.
Regular electoral systems, modern political parties, and effective parliamentary system are
common feature of this region. These development are widely founded by common aims to
promote good governance, political stability, and rule of law. There are exceptions, of course,
but the broader trend is clear; nations in the Asia Pacific have adopted competitive and freely
contested elections than ever before.

Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia I 77