'SL plays active role in C'wealth'

Chaminda PERERA

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma yesterday said that Sri Lanka has played an active role in the Commonwealth and upheld the democratic norms and practices since its inception.

"Ceylon was one of the three developing countries when the Commonwealth's London Declaration was adopted in 1949, he added.

'The Commonwealth is continuously strengthened by Sri Lanka's membership. He said Commonwealth policies are to be reformed and one of the two approaches on strengthening what the Commonwealth intends to do at the time of the election.

"We have created a Commonwealth electoral network to promote best practice and share experience", he added.

Addressing a press conference in Colombo, Sharma said he arrived in Sri Lanka to participate in the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which was inaugurated on Tuesday morning. He said that he focused on Sri Lanka's preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting to be held in Colombo, during his visit.

He said that he visited some of the facilities which would be used for Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka next year. "I visited some of the logistic facilities of the venues," he said.

Sharma said he met a number of senior government leaders, including, External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peiris, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Monitoring MP for External Affairs Ministry Sajin Vass Gunawardena and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. He added that all these meetings were purposeful. He said Sri Lanka has expressed its wishes to have an economic orientation at the CHOGM meeting.

Sharma added that he visited Thirikkovil in the Eastern Province and had discussions with the local officials yesterday morning.

He said that he inspected a project in the former war zone. Sharma added that he visited a fishing village in the Eastern Province and inspected the progress of the projects assisted by the Commonwealth Fund.

He said Commonwealth is becoming younger as the organization considers the younger generation as an element to economic and social transformation.

'We are implementing a Commonwealth local government policy which will help strengthen Local Government policy of Sri Lanka. This declaration was adopted by the heads of Commonwealth organization earlier.

The Commonwealth Secretary General also said he explored more avenues to forge closer partnership between Sri Lanka and Commonwealth during his visit.

Commenting on a proposal to establish the post of Commonwealth Human Rights Commissioner, Sharma stressed that it is only a proposal.

He said he expects to visit the Northern Province during his next visit to Sri Lanka.