LOC18:45
15:45 GMT
Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Sajjad Karim
BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (KUNA) -- Britain's first Muslim Member of the European
Parliament (MEP), Sajjad Karim, has been appointed Chairman of the European
Parliament watchdog body which was set up to stop unethical behavior by MEPs.
Karim will lead the European Parliament Advisory Committee on the Conduct
of Members which is responsible for ensuring all MEPs follow the Code of
Conduct which prohibits receiving expensive gifts and forces MEPs to declare
any extra payments they receive.
"It is an honour to chair the Advisory Committee ahead of the European
elections in May. Under the guidance of the Code of Conduct, the European
Parliament has made great strides in improving transparency and my mission is
to continue to provide the greatest level of transparency possible," Karim
said in a press statement here Friday.
"We need to win back the trust of EU citizens who have been dismayed by
some of the scandals in the past," he added.
Karim will be appointed chair from tomorrow, 1 March, and will hold the
position for six months. He will chair his first committee meeting in Brussels
on 18 March. (end)
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