CPA conference in Cmb this year

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which is to be held in Colombo this year will be an opportunity for Sri Lanka  to display to the world whatever progress it had made in reconciliation and reconstruction after the war, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Chairman Executive Committee Sir Alan Haselthurst said yesterday.

Sir Hasethurst said the visiting delegates would be able to disseminate what they gather on Sri Lanka to the rest of the world especially through their visit to North.

It was announced that the Delegates from 54 commonwealth nations are to visit the North in order to get first hand information on the progress of reconciliation and reconstruction process in the area.

Voicing its opinion on the complaints lodged by the opposition MPS in Sri Lanka, CPA Executive Committee Chairman said  it is not possible to find a perfect democracy today.

Sir Haselthurst came up with this point in response to a question raised by the journalists on the matter.

However he said CPA would help any member state to enhance its democracy in their respective Parliaments.

He in the meantime refrained from elaborating on the matter especially with regard to former MP Sarath Fonseka who is serving a jail sentence currently. “It is not the moment to speak on individual personalities,” he said.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakody told media yesterday that the delegates who would be visiting the country to attend the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in September this year would be given an opportunity to visit any place in the country including the North in order to get first hand information on reconciliation.

“These delegates will be able to determine whether the information they had already received about Sri Lanka through different  sources  are true or false through this visit,” he said.

Mr. Weerakody said the government would encourage all delegates to get a complete picture on what is actually going on in Sri Lanka at the moment. “This is something which is very appropriate and crucial considering the way Sri Lanka is perceived by the international community,” he said.

He also explained that it would be a boost for the country’s tourism sector as well and added that the tourism authorities would come up with special tourism packages for the visitors.

A CPA delegation is currently in town for a pre conference visit to look into how the preparations are done for the CPA Conference which is to be held in Colombo from September 7 to the 15. The visiting delegation expressed confidence that the conference would be a resounding success. (Yohan Perera)