( December 9,
2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) ‘The
Secretary General of the Commonwealth should take urgent action to
request the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to evaluate the
present situation in Sri Lanka and report if the actions of the Sri Lankan
Government are in keeping with its declared commitment to the Harare Principles
of Democracy and the Rule of Law, says MP Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, former
Foreign Minister, in a press release.
The press
release states:
‘On 7th December
2012, President Mahinda Rajapakse and Commonwealth Secretary General Kamelesh
Sharma announced that the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will be
held in Colombo from 15th - 17th November 2013.
‘On the same
afternoon, in a twist of irony, the Opposition MPs walked out of Parliament in
protest against the manner in which the Parliament under the directions of
President Rajapake, is proceeding with a politically motivated impeachment
motion against the Chief Justice, in violation of the Commonwealth Latimer
Principles on the three branches of Government.
‘As the current
Chair of the Parliamentary Commonwealth Union, Sri Lanka has now an even
greater responsibility to uphold the principles contained in the Harare
Declaration to work with 'renewed vigor to protect and promote the fundamental
political values of the Commonwealth.'
‘However, in Sri
Lanka, ever since the Presidential 'power- grab' of 2010, when the 18th
Amendment to the constitution was rushed through Parliament, it was becoming
increasingly clear that the Rajapakse regime was moving away from Commonwealth
values and principles. Democratic institutions have been systematically
dismantled since then but the impeachment process - more akin to a witch trial
of the dark ages -unleashed against the Chief Justice has now exposed the true
agenda of the regime at its worst.
‘It is in this
context that the Secretary General of the Commonwealth should take urgent
action to request the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to evaluate
the present situation in Sri Lanka and report if the actions of the Sri Lankan
Government are in keeping with its declared commitment to the Harare Principles
of Democracy and the Rule of Law.
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