Benefit for the nation at large

Rasika SOMARATHNA

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Sumedha G Jayasena speaks to ‘Daily News’ on the various aspects of the ongoing 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Sri Lanka including how it would benefit the country, people and the local Parliamentarians.

Q: How many countries and delegates are attending the 58th CPA conference?

A: The Annual Conference from September 7 to 15, which is the apex of all CPA activities held each year, will bring together approximately 850 Parliamentarians and Parliamentary staff from 175 CPA branches of 54 countries.

Minister Sumedha G Jayasena

Q: Can you describe the sort of preparation that has gone into for hosting an international event of such magnitude?

A: This will be the biggest event to be held in Sri Lanka since the end of terrorism in 2009. The government has made all arrangements necessary to hold a successful conference. The decision to give host status to Sri Lanka was taken two years back and this was confirmed during the 57the annual conference in London last year which was also the Association's centenary.

Along with Deputy Speaker and Conference Organising Committee chairman Chandima Weerakkody, Speaker Rajapaksa has not kept any stone unturned in ensuring a highly successful conference. This will also set the background for Sri Lanka to hold the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The CPC Sri Lanka Branch is honoured and privileged to have been chosen as the host of the 58th CPA Annual Conference.

Choosing Sri Lanka as the host country is also an indication of the country’s growing reputation internationally.

Q: Do you think the hosting of 58th CPA conference in Sri Lanka will benefit our Parliamentarians. If so how?

A: Sri Lanka has been a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) since gaining independence in 1948. Since then, the membership of the CPA has provided many Parliamentarians and members of the Parliamentary Staff of Sri Lanka invaluable opportunities for information sharing, capacity building and skills development, while also enhancing their knowledge of parliamentary practice, procedure and administration.

In fact, the platform provided by the CPA for advocates of democracy all over the world to meet and exchange views and knowledge about Parliamentary Democracy and to form a network of contacts under the aegis of the Association has been instrumental in consolidating our own parliamentary activities from that time to date.

Q: Sri Lanka has previously hosted the annual CPA conference in 1974 and 1995. What has the country gained from these past experiences?

A: In addition to the above our parliamentarians have been able to build long and lasting bonds with counterparts in foreign lands. This has helped our country in numerous ways. Also hosting the event has given Sri Lanka invaluable international exposure.

As an active member of the CPA, the Sri Lanka Branch has contributed towards its worthy endeavor of promoting the advancement of Parliamentary Democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance, by hosting several major CPA events such as the Annual CPA Conference in 1974 and 1995 as well as several other Conferences and Workshops during the course of the years.

Q: what are the highlights of this year’s conference?

A: The highlights of the Conference will include the Meeting of the General Assembly of the CPA, Workshops on important and relevant topics, the Executive Committee Meeting, the Meeting of the CPA Working Party, the Conference of Small Branches, the Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SOCATT) Meetings.

Q: One of the topics slated to be discussed at the CPA will be strategies to increase Women's representation in Parliaments in small states. As a woman Parliamentarian yourself do you think there are enough opportunities for women at politics in Sri Lanka?

A: Sri Lanka has been very fortunate in this regards. We produced the world’s first woman Prime Minister in the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Since then we have had one woman President and many Ministers, Parliamentarians and local politicians. However, I still feel that women have a larger role to play in politics and there should be more female political leaders. I hope the deliberations in this regards and sharing of experiences during this year’s conference will make positive contributions in ways of enhancing women’s representation in Parliament and in the whole of Commonwealth.

Q: Would the government use this opportunity to make foreign delegates aware on the progress made by Sri Lanka since the end of conflict. If the answer is yes, how?

A: The 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which has got underway in Colombo is a great opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka’s post-conflict positive achievements. It is an opportunity for the world to come to Sri Lanka and to see for itself this country’s achievements in the areas of resettlement, reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation.

Besides the conference deliberations, it is also an opportunity for foreign delegates to observe Sri Lanka's progress first hand. They will be able to experience our culture, traditions and development in various spheres by visiting locations and also by interacting with our MPs, professionals, media, civil society and others.

In this regards arrangements have been made for foreign delegates to visit any part of the country including the North and East on the sidelines of the conference. The organisers have arranged conference excursions to Kandy, Sigiriya, Koggala and Colombo. They will also arrange visits to any other part including the North and East on request.