RIYADH, 7 February 2007 — An Indian parliamentary delegation led by speaker of the lower house (Lok Sabha) Somnath Chatterjee will visit the Shoura Council on Saturday, where the speaker will be met by a number of Shoura members including the chairman. The veteran Indian parliamentarian Chatterjee, who will stay here for five days from Feb. 9 to 13, has been invited by the Shoura Council to visit the Kingdom.
“The trip of this 14-member parliamentary mission led by one of the highest constitutional functionaries of India’s parliamentary system is primarily intended to boost links between Riyadh and New Delhi, especially in the fields of parliamentary affairs,” said Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook here yesterday. Farook said that Chatterjee, during this trip, will also hold talks with senior Saudi officials including Crown Prince Sultan.
The visit will also provide a forum for Shoura members and members of the Indian Parliament to exchange views on a range of subjects, mainly on matters related to legislation and parliamentary affairs. The speaker will be accompanied by his wife Renu Chatterjee and two other women members. Lok Sabha, which is presided over by Chatterjee, is composed of 552 representatives of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of adult suffrage.
Chatterjee began his career as a lawyer and joined active politics in 1968. His ascendance in national politics began with his election to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1971. Since then, he has served as a member in all successive Lok Sabhas, getting elected for the tenth time in 2004, as a member of the current 14th Lok Sabha. His repeated victories in Lok Sabha elections in India with impressive margins testify to his popularity with the masses, his standing in Indian politics and his towering stature as a parliamentarian.
