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Photo: Reuters. ROK to hold parliamentary elections on April 15, 2020   As parliamentary elections is coming up shortly, the Korean government is determined to ensure COVID-19 patients and citizens in self-quarantine to be able to vote.   On April 15, 2020, voters are to go to the polls to elect 300 members of the National Assembly that will be in the seats for the next four years. A two-week campaign started on April 2 in the midst of cautious effort to curb newly reported cases of COVID-19. The general election will be held with extra caution, such as running temperature checks and placing hand sanitizers in every polling station.   ROK Minister of the Interior and Safety, Chin Young, stated that in order to ensure the rights of people to vote, COVID-19 confirmed patients will be able to send ballots via postal mail (absentee voting) or participate in advance voting. He also added that the government is seeking for ways to allow those who had not tested positive but were still in self-quarantine to vote.   In the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Korea isn’t alone carrying out elections. Polish Parliament is also in the process of passing the plan to conduct the upcoming presidential election by postal mail. Currently, the bill passed the lower house (Sejm) and is waiting for the approval from the upper house (Senate).     [Sources] Goclowski, M., & Reuters. (2020, April 7). Polish parliament backs postal ballot to pick president despite rights groups' concerns. Retrieved from https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/polish-parliament-backs-postal-ballot-to-pick-president-despite-rights-groups-concerns   O'Donnell, T. (2020, April 7). South Korea will run temperature checks at polling stations during next week's parliament elections. Retrieved from https://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-run-temperature-checks-141000687.html   Shin, H. (2020, April 2). South Korea to allow absentee voting by coronavirus patients in parliament elections. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-to-allow-absentee-voting-by-coronavirus-patients-in-parliament-elections-idUSKBN21K080    Ministry of Interior and Safety (2020, April 3) 외교부, 법무부, 행안부 장관, 「대국민 담화문」. Retrieved from https://www.mois.go.kr/video/a01/videoMain.do     BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)

Photo: Dailysabah. Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop   Mustafa Sentop, President of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) and Speaker of Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT), called on 44 member countries of APA to act collectively and in solidarity against the COVID-19 pandemic.   In his appeal through a letter to the Parliament Speakers of APA member countries, he emphasized the necessity of parliaments, governments, and civil society organizations to take a series of collective and coherent measures and to implement them immediately.   In another part of the letter, the President mentioned the UN and WHO and their recent global message, noting that in this critical moment we must demonstrate our solidarity, empathy, and altruism to break through obstacles that hinder us from bringing out unified and coherent resolve. He concluded the letter by sending condolences to families who have lost their loved ones because of the global pandemic, especially to those who were on the front lines as medical experts.     [Sources] APA. (2020, March 30). APA President appeals for collective measure to fight current global Pandemic. Retrieved from http://www.asianparliament.org/newsgroup/news/detail/apa-president-appeals-for-collective-measure-to-fight-current-global-pandemic/8007/view/   Daily Sabah. (2020, April 2). Turkey's parliament speaker promotes solidarity of APA countries against coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/turkeys-parliament-speaker-promotes-solidarity-of-apa-countries-against-coronavirus-pandemic     BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)

Photo: Naharnet. Lebanon approves plan to bring back Expats amid COVID-19 crisis   In response to the COVID-19 crisis, many countries closed borders and canceled airlines to curb the spreading. Therefore, expatriates were unable to come back to their mother nation. As expats’ demand for wanting to return to their homes increases, Lebanese government decided to allow citizens abroad to come back.   The government has prioritized citizens who have chronic illnesses, the elderly, families, those who have critical social situations, and those who had left on short-term visas. The tickets will be paid by the returnees, and will only be issued to those who pass the PCR. The returnees will also need to sign pledges of quarantine under the supervision of the Ministries of health, interior and defense and under criminal law.   Nabih Berri, Speaker of Lebanese Parliament, emphasized the urgency of bringing back the Lebanese stranded abroad in the midst of the pandemic crisis. In response, Prime Minister Hassan Diab promised that the cabinet will implement strict measures to ensure safe return of expatriats.   Meanwhile, the government has imposed a four-week lockdown, requesting citizens to stay home unless the situation is urgent and abide by the newly-set night curfew. It also shuttered non-essential businesses, public administrations and educational institutions as well as the air, land and sea ports of entry.     [Sources] Reuters. (2020, March 31). Lebanon, in Coronavirus Lockdown, to Allow Expats to Come Home. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/31/world/middleeast/31reuters-health-coronavirus-lebanon-expats.html   Naharnet. (2020, April 1). Govt. OKs Plan to Bring Home Expats as of April 5. Retrieved from http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/270646-cabinet-approves-plan-to-bring-home-lebanese-expats     BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)

Photo: Vietnam+. Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan calls on AIPA member states to jointly protect ASEAN against COVID-19   As worries of COVID-19 crisis are continuously elevating, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, the Chairwoman of Vietnamese National Assembly and the Chair of the 41st General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, has requested AIPA members to cooperate in the fight against the pandemic.   On March 30, 2020, the AIPA Chair sent a letter to the heads of its Members to emphasize a strong need for collective action in such crisis. She mentioned that the ASEAN community needs to uphold the spirit of solidarity, sharing, mutual assistance and wholehearted support towards countering the pandemic. She also noted that the ASEAN Chairman Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc Statement on ASEAN’s joint response to the outbreak of COVID-19 issued on February 14 has contributed largely to the efforts to curb the spread of the virus in the region.   AIPA Member Parliaments were encouraged to work with Governments of ASEAN Member Countries and support the regional society, in medical and financial terms, to fight against the virus. Moreover, she highlighted the necessity of parliaments to spread messages of love, solidarity and encouragement to all peoples, especially to the medical teams working on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. She ended her appeal with a strong will from the Vietnamese Assembly to dedicate themselves to a peaceful and safe environment in the region, for a successful AIPA presidency.     [Sources] AIPA. (2020, April 1). Vietnam: NA Chairwoman's letter to AIPA members' heads. Retrieved from https://aipasecretariat.org/vietnam-na-chairwomans-letter-to-aipa-members-heads/   VNA. (2020, March 30). Top legislator calls on AIPA member states to jointly protect ASEAN against COVID-19: Politics: Vietnam (VietnamPlus). Retrieved from https://en.vietnamplus.vn/top-legislator-calls-on-aipa-member-states-to-jointly-protect-asean-against-covid19/170948.vnp     BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)