India with majority on Commonwealth Comm for HR issue

Rasika SOMARATHNA and Sanadasen MARASINGHE

Speaking on India’s stance on the proposal to appoint a commissioner for Democracy, Human Rights and the rule of law in the Commonwealth, Speaker of Lok Sabha in India, Meira Kumar yesterday said her country was with the outcome of discussions at the current CPC in this regard.

At the deliberations held on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference at the BMICH, an overwhelming majority of the member countries spoke against the idea of appointing such a Commissioner. The Speaker of the Indian Lok Sabha in answer to a question by the Daily News said, “There was a workshop on this.

‘Whatever the outcome of the workshop I suppose will form a part of the proposals of the CPA” Member countries on Wednesday engaged in a lengthy discussion on the topic of “Should the Commonwealth Establish a Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and the Human Rights” at the ongoing CPA sessions.

Speaker Kumar spoke to journalists after a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa at the BMICH.

After Wednesday’s discussions, Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that over 90 percent of the member states were not in favour of making such an appointment.

Deputy Speaker and chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 58th CPC Chandima Weerakkody later said that UK, Canada and Australia and a few Sri Lankan Parliamentarians representing the Opposition spoke in favour of appointing a Commissioner.

He said the majority member countries opposed the move and maintained that the CPA should exist for mutual understanding among the member countries.

Deputy Speaker Weerakkody stated that Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition MPs Jayalath Jayawardena, John Amarathunga, and TNA MP Sumanthiran stood in favour of the appointement of a Commissioner.

During the Heads of Government meeting of the Commonwealth held in Perth, Australia in 2011 too a majority of member nations rejected the same proposal.

Mrs. Meira Kumar, called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Thursday morning at Temple Trees.