Kadirgamar statue: Dinesh says FM acting arbitrarily

By Malik Gunatilleke

The statue of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar

Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene charged yesterday that Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama’s decision to erect the statue of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar at the Viharamahadevi Park was taken arbitrarily and vowed he would push ahead with efforts to erect it at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute at Horton Place.

Mr. Gunawardena said Mr. Bogollagama had not consulted a cabinet sub committee in charge of the statue project or the cabinet before deciding on the location for the statue.

Mr. Gunawardene is a member of this sub committee appointed 18 days after Mr. Kadirgamar’s death on August 12, 2005.

He said the Urban Development Authority (UDA) had selected the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS), the old parliament premises, the new parliament premises and the Galle Face as possible sites.

The UDA decided to erect the statue at LKIRSS because the other sites were not available and because it believed the institute had the best landscape and the decision was in keeping with the wishes of the late minister’s widow.

Mr. Gunawardena said the other members of the sub committee were also keen that the statue should be erected at LKIIRSS.

At a news conference on Thursday, Minister Bogollagama, however, claimed he had informed the sub committee and the cabinet of his decision to erect the statue at the Vihara Maha Devi Park, which he described as the ideal site where many of “our national heroes have been honoured.”

Mr. Bogollagama laid the foundation for the statue at the park on August 10 in a hurriedly organised ceremony.“As the Foreign Minister I have taken a firm decision to erect the statue without any further delays. It is important that we do not wait another two years to erect the statue thereby dishonouring this great man,” he said.