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| Saturday, 24 April 2004 |
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Kadirgamar - dedicated to Sri Lanka by Ajith Jayasundera The selection and swearing in of the 13th Prime Minister of the Independent Sri Lanka is over. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse rose to this position after 38 years in Parliament and a longer period of service to the country.
He also scored a landmark victory leading the UPFA victory in the Hambantota district. He had all qualifications to be Prime Minister, after being the Leader of the Opposition in the last Parliament. However the media reported there was another contender for this important position. It was none other than Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, the former Foreign Minister and even today an Advisor to the President. Those who proposed his name would have thought of his own tremendous service to the nation, in his shorter period in politics. While congratulating Mr. Rajapakse on his election to this distinguished position, it is also necessary to recall the very important role that Mr. Kadirgamar played in the larger interests of Sri Lanka, as Foreign Minister from August 1994 to 2001 December. He entered politics as a newcomer, having given up a distinguished career in the Legal Profession especially as an expert on Intellectual Property Law. His entry in 1994 was at the special invitation of Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, as the then leader of the People's Alliance. He assumed office at a crucial time in the politics of Sri Lanka, when after 17 years of UNP rule, and a divisive war had completely tarnished the image of the Sri Lanka abroad. He took on the challenge of exposing the false propaganda of the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora that the Sinhalese were a race of near savages, intent of the destruction of the Tamils and determined not to grant their aspirations. He spoke at every possible international forum to explode this myth, earning for himself the wrath of the LTTE and Prabhakaran, who named him as the second biggest enemy of the Tamils. His campaign to restore the image of Sri Lanka to that of a civilised society and functioning democracy was based on his insistence that Sri Lanka was a multi-ethnic, multi-racial country. With this as his core thinking, he showed the world that the LTTE was in fact a ruthless terrorist organisation, and was able to persuade first the USA and later the UK and other countries to ban the LTTE as an international terrorist organisation. His determined diplomacy was in keeping with the policies of President Kumaratunga of accepting all Sri Lankans as equals, despite race or creed. His intense diplomatic activity on these lines compelled the LTTE to enter the process of negotiations, long before they were further pushed into it by the events in the USA on September 11, 2001. He was also able to get the United Nations to accept a Charter against International Terrorism. In a different field, he played a significant role, though not being a Buddhist, in getting the United Nations to declare the Vesak Poya Day, sacred to all Buddhists, as an international holiday. It is the hallmark of the true gentleman in him, that though he deserves this second high position in the country - thanks to his humble way of handling affairs in the political sphere, he never insisted on any post. This prevented any divisive tendencies within the SLFP or UPFA, as many had hoped for. It is the wish of all Sri Lankans, with true concern for the future of this country, that irrespective of his ethnicity for his religious beliefs, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar will be available to serve the new government. Now we are aware that he is once again in the saddle of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we are sure that due to his great experience the true image of Sri Lanka will be once again flourished in the international arena, and give of his great experience to the government and the country, in the more difficult days ahead. By his selfless service for Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar has proved himself to be the true pride of Sri Lanka. |
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