Arab world’s first parliament meets in Cairo

The Arab world’s first regional parliament held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo, BBC reported.

The 88-seat body was proposed by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa as part of a package of reforms to make the 60-year-old institution stronger and more effective.

In his speech, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak described the inaugural session as “a historical occasion which opens new horizons for joint Arab action”.

The parliament has four representatives from each of the 22 Arab League member states, but has no legislative powers and has provoked widespread criticism.

Some Arab countries have sent deputies from un-elected bodies while others have excluded any opposition participation.

Palestinian parliament speaker Rawhi Fattouh said the parliament would only be valuable if it kept an eye on the actions of Arab governments.

"It must be a monitor of Arab executive institutions, but if it is just a union of parliaments then it's not going to be important," he said at the meeting.

The Arab League hopes the current interim parliament will gain more powers and be replaced by a permanent elected assembly, to be based in Damascus, possibly through direct elections similar to those held for the European parliament.

In the two-day meeting in Cairo, members are due to elect a speaker and other officers.

“We have several regional parliaments -- the European Parliament and the African Parliament. The Arab parliament will be looking at them and their experiences and what they can learn from them,” Arab League spokesman Alaa Rushdi was quoted by Reuters as saying.