FNC speaker believes committees could help establish GCC parliament

ABU DHABI // The speaker of the Federal National Council said yesterday that he would propose creating two inter-parliamentary committees as a starting point for establishing a GCC parliament. Abdul Aziz al Ghurair made his remarks in Muscat where he is attending the second meeting of the speakers of GCC Shoura councils, houses of representatives and parliaments. The meeting will conclude today.

One committee would conduct studies to help develop parliamentary practices in the Gulf states, Mr al Ghurair said, according to the state news agency, WAM. The second committee would be responsible for co-ordination and co-operation among Gulf parliamentary bodies in preparation for establishing a GCC parliament. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Issa'ee, the speaker of the Omani Shura Council, said he hoped the parliamentary meeting would lay the foundation for regular meetings of GCC parliamentary bodies.

The leaders of the Gulf nations are to meet in the Omani capital next week to discuss, among other things, the international financial crisis, the falling price of oil and establishing a unified central bank for the GCC. mhabboush@thenational.ae

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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