SL well prepared to host CHOGM 2013

by Manjula FERNANDO

The visiting Commonwealth Chief Kamalesh Sharma said the Sri Lankan Government's wishes to have a 'development orientation' to the 2013 CHOGM discussions will have a strong appeal to the Heads of Governments from across the Commonwealth, especially in developing and small states.

Speaking at a media conference last week on the sidelines of the CPA conference, he said the aim of the theme was to, "focus on drawing non-urban communities more meaningfully as participants into national life and as beneficiaries of national growth and development."

He said his participation at the CPA conference provided an opportunity to be briefed on the Sri Lankan Government's preparations for hosting the CHOGM next year. "I visited some of the proposed venues. The logistical arrangements are well in hand, as is the state of readiness of the various venues that will be used", he said.

The theme proposed by the Sri Lankan Government will be further discussed to support the preparation of practical outcomes from the 2013 CHOGM.

In response to a question by the media of the possibility of Canada staying away from the CHOGM, he said he had encouraged all heads of states to participate in the meeting because it's a 'meeting of heads of states'.

"It is for each member state to decide their action on the matter, but as the head of the Commonwealth I am hopeful that there will be as many heads at the CHOGM", he said.

He said he missed the tour to the North and the East to witness what is taking place there, but expects to fulfil this aim during his planned visit to the country early next year, in view of the preparations for CHOGM 2013.

The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, responding to media queries on the proposal to establish a Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights, said, "Sri Lanka is one of the oldest democracies in the Commonwealth, it is one of the founding members of the Commonwealth, and has been a democracy ever since.

"I don't think there is any deficit as such in the spirit of democracy here. However it is possible, democracy always being more of a journey than a destination, that many of the areas to be addressed as you go along may come up. This is what we mean when we talk about institution strengthening."

He said these are done invariably by the Commonwealth in consultation with the Government and stakeholder institutions.