Lanka’s bogeyman now French FM

It was Sri Lanka's luck that President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not, after all, reject the European Union's nominee for the IIGP or International Independent Group of Eminent Persons.

He wanted to reject the nomination of Bernard Kouchner. In fact, Government's media campaigner Dayan Jayatilleke wrote in the state-run media that Mr. Kouchner was a subjective person whose involvement in the IIGP would be detrimental to Sri Lanka.

But Human Rights and Diasaster Management Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe opposed the move. He advised President Rajapaksa to accept the EU recommendation but to write to them. In his communication the EU was told that the Government was accepting Mr. Kouchner since he was EU's nominee despite reservations it held. Mr. Kouchner arrived in Sri Lanka and worked with judges and Government officials.

On Friday the newly elected French President Nicholas Sarkozy named Mr. Kouchner as the new Foreign Minister of France. He will now resign his post in the IIGP.