OPPOSITION CANNOT PREVENT SRI LANKA STAGING 2013 COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT – FOREIGN MINISTER

Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris confirmed that the 2013 Commonwealth Summit will be held in Sri Lanka. He emphasized that the Opposition Leader cannot prevent the staging of the Summit.

15 countries expressed their support for the holding of the Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka. Even at the recent SAARC Summit, all countries underscored that they appeared on behalf of Sri Lanka which had ended the war. The External Affairs Minister emphasized in Parliament during the budget debate that it was sad to note that only the Opposition was speaking against the country during transactions with the international community. Even though the Opposition Leader requested to make a special statement in the House today, the Speaker said that he would be permitted to so do tomorrow.
Accordingly, the Opposition removed his tie today as a mark of protest against the Government for not allowing him to make a statement today. Minister Prof. Peiris said that the Opposition Leader had been wearing a tie bearing the Commonwealth logo. He emphatically mentioned that the Opposition Leader cannot prevent the decision taken to stage Commonwealth meetings in Sri Lanka simply by removing that tie.