Mark charges world parliamentarians on good governance

President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has charged parliaments across the globe to champion the course of transparency, good governance, justice and fairness in their governments as the needed ingredients to propagate and sustain democracy.
Addressing the 126th Assembly of the inter parliamentary union holding in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday, Mark said the adherence to such principles would guarantee sustainable development and halt the tendency for dictatorship.

Mark is leading a 12-man Nigerian delegation, which includes the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Sir Emeka Ihedioha, to the weeklong global Assembly tagged: “Parliaments and people – bridging the gap.”
Nigeria is among the 160 nations that make up the IPU.
Mark noted that the citizenry is increasingly getting interested in participating democracy as opposed to representative democracy.
Mark therefore tasked his colleagues to rise up to the challenge of responding to the wishes and aspirations of the people in order to avoid the pressure on them.
According to Mark: “We can reduce the pressure from our constituents if we as legislators uphold the sanctity of accountability and transparency in our day to day activities.
“We are closer to the people, we must identify their needs and respond appropriately. You must have observed the paradigm shift from our people yearning for a participatory democracy from representative democracy. Our people are demanding more from us and we cannot shy away.”
He said the Nigerian National Assembly has improved its oversight functions on the executive arm of government, needed to provide the required check and balance.
He, however, said funding was posing limitation to their assignment.
Mark added that Nigerians, especially civil society organisations, are being encouraged to get involved in public hearing organised by the National Assembly, a development he said has improved the quality of legislations.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda declared the 126th IPU open in Kampala.
He urged parliaments to co-operate with the executive arm of the government so that people could profit from democracy.
President of the IPU and speaker of the Morrocan House of Representatives, Abdewahab Radi, called for actions against Syria and Mali, just as he praised the conduct of elections in Senegal.