UK accuses India, Malaysia of deals at CPA

In a controversial turn to the election to a top Commonwealth parliamentary post involving high-profile Labour peer Swraj Paul and a Malaysian minister, the British delegation on Thursday alleged that India and the host country were involved in "shocking deals".

Paul, the London-based non resident Indian industrialist, has been proposed for the chairmanship of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association by Britain and Canada. He is pitted against Malaysian Minister for Unity and Culture Mohammed Shafie Abdal in the election scheduled for August 9 in Kuala Lumpur.

The chairmanship is currently held by West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim, who was elected three years ago at the CPA conference in Fiji and has now chosen the lesser post of treasurer to which he has been elected.

The Indian delegation to the five-day CPA conference is led by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and includes 6 members of Parliament from various parties and Speakers from the 26 state assemblies. Each delegate has an independent vote.

British MPs alleged that at the time of Halim's election as chairman, the Indians had promised Malaysia that they would support their candidate to succeed him. Efforts were being made to ensure that the Indians supported the Malaysian minister, they said.

The leader of the British delegation Hugh Bayley said in a statement that he was disappointed over allegations that "deals have been done" over the chairman's election between India and Malaysia three years ago.