The 2012 mid-year Executive Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association CPA will be opened by HM King Tupou VI at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre, Nuku'alofa on Wednesday April 18.

The Executive body of the CPA  manages the affairs of the CPA. The Tonga Legislative Assembly has been a member of the CPA for a number of years, but this will be the first time for the Executive body  of the CPA to meet in Nuku'alofa.

Dr Sione Vikilani from the Tonga Legislative Assembly office said that the CPA wanted the mid-year meeting to be held in Tonga, and the Tonga Legislative Assembly was willing to host them.

The meeting will be closed to the public, but it willl be attended by six executive officers; President Hon Chamal Rajapaksa MP, from Sri Lanka; Vice President Hon Mninwa J Mahlangu MP from South Africa; Chairperson Rt Hon Sir Alan Haselhurst MP of the United Kingdom; Vice Chairperson Dr Nafisa Shah Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; Hon Marwick Khumalo MP from Swaziland, and the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, Hon Alix Boyd Knights; the Speaker of the House of Assembly of Dominica.

Also attending will be 30 regional representatives from the nine branches of the association of Africa, Asia, Australia, British Islands and Mediterranean, Canada, Caribbean, Americans and Atlantic countries, India, Pacific and South East Asia.

The Pacific will be represented by Hon Bill Motofoou, Member of Parliament of Niue; Moana Mackey, Member of Parliament of New Zealand, and Hon Ludwig Scotty MP, Speaker of Parliament of Niue.

The program started today 16 April with a coordinating commttee to be followed by a working groups meeting, before the executive meeting starts on April 18

CPA was established as a charity organisation to exempt its income, mainly branch member fees from the United Kingdom business tax, but some members have questioned is being a charity organization was the proper thing to do. The meetng agreed that a possible new status would still need to retain the tax exemption but reflect the accurate nature and work of the association in promoting and advancing parliamentary governance throughout the commonwealth.

The London Executive meeting also decided that the Strategic Plan 2013-17 draft will be further considered in the Tonga meeting before it's presentation for approval by the General Assembly during the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Annual Conference in Sri Lanka in September, 2012.

The executive meets twice a year, once during the Annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and then mid year in April.

Members

CPA's principle governing body is the General Assembly which meets annually during the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and the assembly elects members to the Executive Committee.