Today the Commonwealth policy was reversed by the Rajapaksa Government -Tissa Attanayake, MP, General Secretary o the

!"P

#$anka-e"ews-%&'"ov'&(%), &')(PM* +n &(%%, the Commonwealth ,eads o Government Meetin#C,.GM* accepted the o er by the Government o Sri $anka to host the &(%) C,.GM in Colombo' This is the irst time that Sri $anka is hostin- C,.GM even tho/-h on an earlier occasion in %01(, Sir Shridath Ramphal re2/ested President 3'R' 3ayewardene to host the %01) meetin- in Colombo' President 3ayewardene politely t/rned down the o er sayin- he co/ld not j/sti y the e4cessive e4pendit/re to host the meetin- in Colombo' Today this policy was reversed by the Rajapaksa Government' The !"P5s position is that the Commonwealth ,eads o Government have the power to decide on the ven/e or their meetin-s' .ne o the !"P5s main concerns however is that the e4pendit/re inc/rred by the Government in order to host the s/mmit will become an overwhelmin- economic b/rden on the people o this co/ntry' 6hile the Government p/rports to host a s/mmit on behal o an or-ani7ation that e4tols the val/es o 8emocracy, ,/man Ri-hts and Good Governance, there has been no transparency re-ardin- the e4pendit/re inc/rred by the state or this p/rpose' The Rajapaksa -overnment has not only ar e4ceeded the ori-inal e4pendit/re estimates, b/t has been ti-ht lipped abo/t the n/mero/s contracts and avo/rs -ranted to its cronies' Rather than /se the opport/nity to restore eroded democratic val/es and e4press its

commitment to strive to live /p to the val/es o the Commonwealth, the Sri $ankan Government has t/rned C,.GM &(%) into an e4trava-an7a to showcase the Rajapaksa re-ime' As a responsible opposition committed deeply to the val/es o democracy, liberty and incl/sive development, the !"P opposes this waste /l policy and is possessed o the oresi-ht to reali7e that it will be an /nbearable b/rden on the people o Sri $anka' The Commonwealth o "ations is a val/e based or-ani7ation' The Charter o the Commonwealth is based on 8emocracy, ,/man Ri-hts and R/le o $aw' ,ence a decision to select Colombo as a ven/e or s/ch a val/e based or-ani7ation has been opposed by a n/mber o nations and or-ani7ations' The objections to and the hi-hli-htin- o democratic de icits in Sri $anka are valid' The absence o ree and air elections, de-val/in- o Parliament, restriction o reedom o e4pression and association, the s/ppression o media incl/din- the disappearance o media personnel, the abolition o +ndependent Commissions relatin- to the P/blic Service, 3/diciary, 9lections and the Police, the ille-al removal o Chie 3/stice :andaranayake, are amon- the key o/tstandin- iss/es' This has been re-en orced by the recent actions o the -overnment in; a' re /sin- visas or a dele-ation rom the +nternational :ar Association' b' cancellin- the visas o representatives o international media or-ani7ations c' e4p/lsion o a Senator rom A/stralia and a Member o Parliament o "ew <ealand' These visits to Sri $anka were related to C,.GM and ,/man Ri-hts' The Government5s decisions have only rea irmed that the Rajapaksa re-ime has no intention o adherin- now or in the /t/re to Commonwealth =al/es' "evertheless, there is a one valid reason or holdin- the C,.GM in Colombo' As Chair in . ice, President Rajapaksa and the Government o Sri $anka are now /nder obli-ation to en orce the Commonwealth Charter' The val/es enshrined in this Charter incl/des the ollowin-; > ?8emocracy @ 6e reco-ni7e the inalienable ri-ht o individ/als to participate in democratic processes, in partic/lar thro/-h ree and air elections in shapin- the society in which they liveA' > ?,/man Ri-hts @ 6e are committed to the !niversal 8eclaration o ,/man Ri-hts and other relevant h/man ri-hts covenants and international instr/ments'A > ?Breedom o 94pressionA > ?Separation o Powers @ 6e reco-ni7e the importance o maintainin- the inte-rity o the roles o the $e-islat/re, 94ec/tive and 3/diciary'A > ?R/le o $aw @ 6e believe in the r/le o law as an essential protection or the people o the Commonwealth and as an ass/rance o limited and acco/ntable -overnment'A > ?Good Governance ? > ?Access to ,ealth, 9d/cation, Bood and ShelterA > ?Gender 92/alityA > ?Role o Civil SocietyA The Government has so ar not made the Charter o the Commonwealth available in the three lan-/a-es o the co/ntry @ Sinhala, Tamil and 9n-lish altho/-h it is bea/ti yin- the capital or

the s/mmit at a hectic pace' Awareness abo/t the Charter will help to in orm the people o this co/ntry, the people who will host the ,ead o Government in the Commonwealth this week, o the ri-hts they are entitled to /nder the Charter rati ied by their co/ntry, /nder this President' +t is there ore o/r le-itimate and strin-ent demand that the Government act immediately to make the p/blic aware o the contents o the Commonwealth Charter' The !"P is also s/rprised by the Commonwealth Secretariat5s ostrich-like attit/de towards some o the /ndamental iss/es raised in Commonwealth observations re-ardin- Sri $anka' Birstly, the decision not to disclose vital reports on the lawed impeachment o Chie 3/stice Shirani :andaranayake' The other is the recommendation o the Commonwealth 9lection .bserver Mission on the "orthern Provincial Co/ncil election callin- or independent commissions to ens/re ree and air elections' The Secretary-General has now re erred to a new Commission on Tort/re, the irst we are hearin- o s/ch a move' +t is /nclear how this attit/de will help /rther the ca/se o democracy, r/le o law and h/man ri-hts in Sri $anka' 6e do not e4pect the Government to implement the Charter vol/ntarily' .nce Sri $anka ass/mes the Chair o C,.GM, we in the !"P and other political parties and or-ani7ations have an opport/nity to commence a campai-n to compel the Government to /phold these ri-hts' 6e will carry o/t this campai-n till we achieve that -oal' .n contemplation and in co-ni7ance o all these acts, the $eader o the .pposition has decided to attend the openin- o C,.GM in Colombo on %C "ovember &(%)' &(%) "ovember %&