Date Of Article: 3/11/2003
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Visiting British MP against war on Iraq
By: Pilirani Semu-Banda
A UK Labour member of parliament Helen Jackson said at the end of her visit in the country last Friday she was among a group of other MPs that are against the idea of their country joining the United States of America in rallying war against Iraq without the backing of a United Nations (UN) council. Jackson said at a round table discussion for Malawian women MPs, media and civil society on “Creating a new agenda on women” that a majority of women parliamentarians in the UK are against their Prime Minister Tony Blair’s idea of going to war. She said “there are far a lot of women MPs that want to work on solving the Iraq issue through the UN. “I am happy to say that we are not convinced that military force against Iraq is a solution,” said Jackson. She was responding to a question from human rights activist Emmie Chanika who wanted to know what Jackson’s stand was on the war. Jackson’s stand was supported by Malawi’s MP Martha Nasho, who said women, as child bearers, have people’s interests at heart and refuse to go for extreme measures such as war to resolve conflicts. “I am happy with Honourable Jackson’s stand on war. This war could have terrible effects on a lot of countries including Malawi,” said Nasho. Jackson urged women MPs in the country to work on upholding people’s interests to avoid compromising these at the expense of party politics. She also urged Malawi government to focus on specific targets and recognise the “power of the civil society in building the country’s democracy”. Jackson was in the country as part of British Council’s “Effective leadership programme” and she was shadowing Nasho in her constituency in Ntcheu. Five other British lawmakers have already threatened to quit their government jobs if Blair goes to war against Iraq without a second UN resolution. Reuters news agency quoted the Sunday Telegraph as saying the five who work as ministerial aides in Blair’s government, were ready to step down. 122 Labour MPs are reported to have voted against Blair’s policy on Iraq last week.
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