COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE Colombo, Sri Lanka
58th Plenary Session - 11 September 2012
OPENING CEREMONY
Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa, CPA President and Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
On behalf of the Sri Lanka Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, I am honoured and privileged to welcome you all to the opening ceremony of the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. This is the third time we are
hosting this meeting in Sri Lanka and that is a reflection of the strong commitment Sri Lanka and our people have towards the values of the Commonwealth and our dedication for Parliamentary democracy which form core values of this association. Members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association are bonded by a shared history: the history of British colonialism. This shared history runs as a
thread that binds us together and undoubtedly it has enabled us to create this association and to promote parliamentary democracy and good governance among our member states. We Sri Lankans received universal
franchise in 1931 over 80 years ago, when we were still a colony. Since receiving independence in 1948 the country has had an unbroken tradition of multi-party democracy with regularly held elections and political power alternating between different political parties. We are intensely proud of the
democratic tradition we have nurtured over these 64 years since gaining independence and will continue to ensure that Parliamentary democracy remains vibrant and robust in this part of the world. It is because of this commitment
to parliamentary democracy that the Commonwealth has bestowed on Sri Lanka, the honour of hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013. The Sri Lanka branch has been an
active member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for many years. It has played a positive role in the main forum and within the Asia Regional group. Currently, our Branch
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functions as the Regional Secretariat for the Asia Region and hosted the CPA Regional Conference in 2011. Our Branch also sits as the representative of the Asia region in the Commonwealth Women
“Let me say how proud we are, to be hosting this meeting at a time when peace in all parts of our country is irreversibly established.”
Parliamentarians Steering Committee. These are all testimony to our unreserved commitment to the Commonwealth and to its future progress. Let me say how proud we are,
to be hosting this meeting at a time when peace in all parts of our country is irreversibly established. For 30 years Sri Lanka had to fight the worst of terrorism. It simply destroyed the social
fabric and almost divided the Sri Lankan nation into pieces. I admire the resilience, courage and patience of all our people who had to endure tremendous hardship during the long period of the conflict. It is our firm intention to strengthen
the bonds of friendship among all communities that inhabit this island and ensure that their children will grow up in a culture of peace and co-existence. All our actions today are directed
towards building a harmonious nation where discrimination will not be tolerated. As a people we are thankful to the Commonwealth for the continuous support member nations extended to us and for the understanding you showed at a time of need.