Bogollagama to explain Kampala blunder

By Chandani Kirinde

A detailed explanation on the diplomatic faux pas on the Commonwealth vote to suspend Pakistan from the 53-member group will be made by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollgama in Parliament on Tuesday when the votes of his Ministry are to be taken up for debate.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila said a “breakdown in communications” had caused the diplomatic blunder which reportedly made President Mahinda Rajapaksa furious. Mr. Bhaila said the Foreign Minister had left for Kampala on Wednesday before the cabinet decided to oppose any move to suspend Pakistan from the Commonwealth and this had not been communicated to him.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollgama

When the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) met on Thursday to discuss the Pakistan issue, Minister Bogollagama who is a member of this group objected to any suspension of Pakistan but the group decided on the suspension, Mr. Bhaila claimed.

Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon was reported to have said there were differences among the nine-member ministerial committee and objections from Sri Lanka but the group eventually reached consensus on the suspension. When Mr. McKinnon announced that consensus had been reached by the CMAG to suspend Pakistan, Minister Bogollagama was seated by his side.

The CMAG which met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions in September and in London on November 12 had asked Pakistan to implement certain measures, including the release of judges and opposition leaders, lift media curbs and for President Pervez Musharraf to shed his military uniform in keeping with its obligations in accordance with Commonwealth principles, or face possible suspension. The November 22 decisions was the follow-up action as CMAG felt that none of the concerns it had raised had been addressed by Gen. Musharraf.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday night distancing itself from the CMAG decision saying that the CMAG recommend Pakistan’s suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth while Minister Bogollagama maintained Sri Lanka’s strong reservations in this regard.

“Sri Lanka advocated the need for greater space for Pakistan to achieve and realize its obligation from the last meeting. It was also reiterated by Sri Lanka that it is important for CMAG to engage Pakistan from within the Commonwealth,” the Foreign ministry said.

At a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on Friday night on the orders of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was also in Kampala, it was decided to disassociate itself from the decision of the CMAG. President Rajapaksa had thereafter told the Heads of Government meeting that Sri Lanka strongly objected to the move to suspend Pakistan. Malaysia is reported to have also opposed the move.

Mr .Bhaila said that Minister Bogollagama met with Pakistan’s Interim Foreign Minister in Uganda following the suspension decision and there the Pakistan Minister had thanked Sri Lanka for objecting to the suspension. The Pakistan High Commission in Colombo also said it appreciated the decision taken by Sri Lanka to disassociate itself from the CMAG decision.