Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-01-16-Speech-3-310"
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"en.20080116.14.3-310"2
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"Mr President, firstly, I should like to give condolences to the family and friends of Benazir Bhutto. Her loss is not just Pakistan’s but is a loss to the whole world.
I am very proud to have known her personally. She invited me to join her on her return to Pakistan, and it was very much a heart-wrenching moment for me when I received her New Year’s greetings days after she had been murdered.
I remember Benazir as a very strong charismatic woman, asserting her right to rule as the first elected female leader, at the age of 35, of a Muslim state. I believe she will be remembered as one of the great figures of our century – a leader who inspired both women and men beyond South Asia and represented, above all, hope for a better future for Pakistan.
Benazir’s death has caused upheaval in her country, and I believe the only route to stability will be if questions that are being asked about her assassination are answered. Many people, not just in Pakistan but also those I represent in the West Midlands, want to know who the real culprits are. Therefore, I ask the Council to strongly support the calls for international investigation by the United Nations into the murder and I ask the Council and the Commission to inform this House what their position is on this.
Benazir Bhutto fought for a democratic Pakistan and a peaceful transition to civilian rule. Her fight cost her her life. Let her death not be in vain. We need to continue this cause, and I welcome the fact that the Commissioner is sending a strong electoral observation mission. However, if this observation mission is to have credibility, it needs to indicate now to the Pakistani authorities the benchmarks the election observation mission will be using to judge whether the forthcoming elections are free and fair, and this includes an all-party participation in the review of the electoral rules and procedures and an impartial system of conducting elections and verifying election results that is totally transparent. But, above all, I would really like to emphasise the need for all press restrictions to be lifted and freedom to assemble for political rallies and campaigns, which, in the last few weeks, have been opposed."@en1
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