It is hard to understand why legal opinions sought on the Sri Lankan impeachment of CJ Shirani Bandaranayake by the Commonwealth Secretariat were not shared with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) before their most recent meeting, Canada’s Commonwealth Envoy, Senator Hugh Segal told Colombo Telegraph.
Senator Hugh Segal
It was understandable that the Secretary General should have commissioned independent legal and constitutional opinions about the impeachment of the Sri Lankan Chief Justice since he had formally expressed deep and public concern about the impeachment some weeks earlier, Segal said.
“That any such opinions,once received,were not shared with the members of the CMAG, before their most recent discussions which included a long engagement on Sri Lanka and CHOGM is, however, much harder to understand,” the Canadian Envoy to the Commonwealth said in response to questions posed by Colombo Telegraph.
“CMAG,under the distinguished leadership of the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh,had the right to those opinions before they met,” Segal observed.
He added that transparency within the Commonwealth has experienced a setback of substance.
“The ‘good offices’of the Secretary General should not preclude Commonwealth ministers having access to research for which they have paid,” Segal asserted.
Segal’s comments have been echoed by the President of the Sri Lankan Bar Upul Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya said that in the interest of transparency, since Sharma did not pay for the opinions personally he had an obligation to reveal those opinions to the Commonwealth membership.
As exclusively reported in the Colombo Telegraph, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma may have covered up two key independent legal opinions on the legality of Sri Lanka’s impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, withholding the content of those opinions even from the powerful CMAG. Speculation in Commonwealth and diplomatic circles is that the Secretary General has decided not to disclose the content of the opinions because they may have forced him to act against Sri Lanka which is the next host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this November, a top diplomat told Colombo Telegraph.
Related posts;
Exclusive: Secretary General Hides Two Key Legal Findings On CJ Impeachment From CMAG
Release The Buried Reports, Be Transparent – Bar Association SL Tells Commonwealth Sharma
punchinilame / August 20, 2013
The cat is out of the bag. Typically an Indian Executive Action, as
with Nambiar in the UN.
Who knows if the PR firm engaged in UK bought-over this esteemed
gentleman?
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janaka / August 20, 2013
Obviously, Sharma has got lots of sweets and goodies from Rajapassa to keep mum and let the CHOGM show go on!
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Yehiya / August 20, 2013
I told long time before sharma is well paid.
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Rohan / August 21, 2013
Gems and women did the trick when Dixit and Bhandari were around.
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Aney Apochchi! / August 20, 2013
punchinilame:
Your suspicions appear to be well founded. A recent newspaper in Sri Lanka had a headline story about Indians claiming that Nehru must be turning in his grave at the corrupt behaviour of important Indians (like Sharma). There seems to be little doubt that he has been purchased. Someone like Hugh Segal has a long history of responsible conduct in the political field and his concerns should be taken VERY seriously.
This guy is either directly in the pay of the GoSL or is being “looked after” through one of the PR outfits the GoSL has hired.
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srilal / August 20, 2013
This shameless Sharma clown dances according to Indian PM, puppet Indian PM dances according to Sonia’s tune , Sonia is eternally grateful for MR for finishing off VP from the face of the earth. only future BJP led administration will change the current status quo and will adjust the Indian foreign policy towards SL.
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Thiru / August 20, 2013
Nehru had his grandson Rajiv, who was an aircraft sales middleman during his mum’s rule! Nothing new to them.
Generally when I hear the name Sharma, I remember a Bangalee Brahmin friend one mine, who passed away some time back: He told me: Thiru, never trust an fellow with the name Sharma – a Brahmin name also.
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Breeze / August 20, 2013
The name Sarma/Sharma explains why the SG and India is supporting MARA. Brahmins are constantly scheming to exterminate Dravidians and their culture so ofcourse they will support MARA despite the fact they loathe Buddhism and the Singhalese , the former constituting a threat to Brahminical Hindu racism and the later being essentially similar in genetic stock to Dravidians.
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Burt / August 20, 2013
People like this is what puts other honest peoples integrity to question when they come from this part of the world.
Sad :(
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Rama / August 20, 2013
sharma should be removed from his post without any further delay. sri lanka is a sinhala pariah country . commonwealth head of states should meet at a respectable country and not in this sinhala pariah toilet land.
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kk / August 20, 2013
We will remove sharma and will appoint you or new LTTE priminister Honarable Rudrakumaran
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Rama / August 21, 2013
kk, you are a real thicko. a bird in hand is worth two in the bush they say. how come you have excluded the low caste black dumbo wimaml weerawanka for this prestigous position.
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Senguttuvan / August 20, 2013
You cannot cover an elephant with a hand-held rice separator is village wisdom both in North and South Sri Lanka. Kamlesh Sharma
seems to have done much undue bidding for the Rajapakse family.
It was becoming clearer with every passing day he should have been more circumspect in the integrity demanded by his high office. It is only a powerful Commonwealth country like Canada that can expose collusionists.
Senguttuvan
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Navin / August 20, 2013
What’s the big deal here? So MR managed to pull a fast one on Commonwealth! Don’t you remember how US and UK deceived the whole world and went to war in Iraq? It was non other than Mr. Stephen Harper, who said at the time Canada should be fighting alongside the US! If her majesty’s government can engage in deception for her national interest why not us for our own good? I guess truthfulness is not part of commonwealth values or otherwise how could her majesty have violated her own value system no eh? No matters what happens you old English speaking men will never fault the British.
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Hela / August 20, 2013
It is a big deal to CT as well in their project on regime change in Sri Lanka.
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Senguttuvan / August 20, 2013
Navin writes pretty decent English and is, therefore, a part of the English-speaking yakkos.
The yanks didn’t pull a fast one on Iraq. WMD and chemical weapons were there for years for planned use against Israel and the West – in due time planned for years. It was smuggled out to Syria via the common border – according to confidential reports in the hands of several Govts. Where do you
think Bashar Assad got his chemical weapons that he used/using against his own people in the current internal war. Why did he throughout threaten “he will use incredible weapons” if he is pushed to the wall. This resulted in the UN, US and EU warning him of dire consequences – and he is restrained. But like in the Iran-Iraq wars these are unprincipled desperate dictators. They could be counted even to try to destroy the world. So let us not bring Harper here.
Wars today are fought according to civilised rules where Sri Lanka is a signatory to many Conventions. The Genghis Khan days are long past.
Senguttuvan
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Uthungan / August 20, 2013
Yes, the chemicals and WMD may have been smuggled out to Syria. But who gave them to Iraq in the first place? Was not such those “incredible weapons” used against Iran by Sadddaham Hussain the then West’s favourite leader in the ME.
So what is surprising if those who gave such weapons feared that one day Sadham Hussain wouldn’t target the client state of Israel, and a deception was manufactured to go to not only deprieve Saddham Hussain of those weapons but also to ensure a free flow of a depleting commodity oil.
Julian Asange,David Manning,Edward Snowdon and Guantanmo rendition camps are prime examples of civilised rules of war now a days indeed anyway.
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Uthungan / August 20, 2013
Oops,a correction …it is Bradley Mannings not David.
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A.D.J. Perera / August 22, 2013
Uthungan,
Today, as feared and where President Asad was warned not to use
WMD/Chemical weapons on his own people, he has massacred hundreds of his own people – many young children – using this. The video pictures invoke pity even in the most stone-hearted Muslim.
In many ways he is far more brutal than his father – who too killed over 60,000 of his own people in one military operation in a few days time during his terror rule. This is the second instances in recent history when Chemical weapons are used to wipe out a large number of non-combatant civilians. How can these barbarians be prevented from using these on their own fellow Muslims. The sooner the world disables the Iranians and Pakistaniks from WMDs the better. Otherwise these beasts will not think twice to destroy the world due to their madness of an early world Islamic conquest.
ADJP
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Aney Apochchi! / August 20, 2013
Navin:
What are you trying? More Rajapassa-brand BS? Canada DID NOT join the US in the “WMD invasion” of Iraq. Even those who have no time for Harper’s conservative politics have been forced to show respect for his stand on the CHOGM being held in Sri Lanka.
Interestingly, you seem to justify what you yourself describe as dishonesty and deception by the otherwise-pristine Sinhala-Buddhist regime of MARA. The style and content of your rubbish is strongly suggestive of the man of many aliases with a sterling record in cheating people wanting to own their own homes!
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Jim softy / August 20, 2013
If Canada is sympathetic this much to Tamils should have allowed more boats. but, that is not what they did.
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abhaya / August 20, 2013
take all of them bitches, there is a lot of room is stinky sacrbaria
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Rama / August 21, 2013
abhaya, stinky toilet land is none other sinhala pariah country called shit lanka. it appears that you couldn’t get into the banana boat that sailed from hambartteantita. never mind not everything is lost, you can board a catamaran to nova scotia.
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Tsunami Hora / August 20, 2013
Canada is sympathetic towards any suffering people not only the Tamils.
That doesn’t mean that they should take all those who suffer to Canada.
They raise their voice because of the concern.
MR is doing what he wants like a junta regime while the world is watching. Imagine what would happen if the world keep mum.
Kamalesh Sharma is what Mohan Peries in SL.
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Lapatiya / August 20, 2013
“If Canada is sympathetic this much to Tamils should have allowed more boats. but, that is not what they did”
Thanks mate that you are reminding everybody that Dr. Mrs. Bandaranayaka, Legal CJ is Tamil and therefore these coconut Donkey’s can do anything that they wish. Transparency…Puh…for what. what kind of Transparency for Tamils….heh….heh….heh….
“Kade yanakota Andumak Andagena yanna amathaka karanna epa”
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Ajith / August 20, 2013
That is a different matter. Here the facts about Sharma and his corruption. Rajapakse regime not only buys local politicians and military personal but also corrupted Indian Politicians.
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Rama / August 21, 2013
jim softy, you are a real softy. what a sinhala modaya you are. does canada practice an open door policy. remember not long ago australia practiced a white only policy. if that wasn’t relaxed how could thousands of black sinhala modayas reach australia.
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j.muthu / August 20, 2013
Oi native veddah,
where is our Doc narendiran rajapakse…..if u seen some where in Jaffna let me know…hope he will be busy with dug the king, hope he is not in your beloved jungle and groping your ladies….
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Ben Dover / August 20, 2013
This is appalling stuff and something I never thought I’d live to see or hear about. Mr Sharma should produce those two legal opinions forthwith, so he can either be exonerated or do the honourable thing and duly fall on his sword.
If the latter, perhaps any hidden agendas and specifics of any hidden deals with the regime in Sri Lanka will out?
In any case, shame on you Mr Secretary General for not being up-front with this.
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Lankan / August 20, 2013
Thank you Canada for being strong on this point. Stephen Harper at last is becoming a world leader. I am not saying this because he is opposing Sri Lanka, in general terms he stands for justice and equal rights and above all for democratic rights. Well done Stephen Harper.
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nalin / August 20, 2013
well,well, he decided to get some money for the work done .
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 20, 2013
Poor Canada, they’ve become the smelly kid no one wants to sit next to of the Commonwealth by trying to pander to LTTE refugees :)
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Rama / August 21, 2013
oi bogus sarma, when did you come down from the tree. how is the swinging practice going. i hope you have many friends from sinhala black monkey army. how are you getting on with kandyan devil dancing. i hope they don’t dance in front of the commonwealth heads. it will be really embarrasing and disgusting. kandyan devil dancers should be sent to burundi where pan african heads of state meet.
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Aslam Machan / August 20, 2013
There is no esteem and nothing gentlemanly
in this Kamelesh Sharma.
He has shown very clearly that he is very
susceptible to filthy lucre. Some firm in
the UK has bogged enough in his Bank account
to lie, lie and deceive Commnwealth members,
particularly the CIMAG.
No amount of what this man Amma Uku, the
spokesman for Commonwealth would say to white
wash Sharma, he has sold his soul.
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Romesh / August 20, 2013
Sharma’s bank accounts must be checked. Has he declared his assets? So must be Uku. Definitely Rajapakshas have bribed these too! The humanity is going down to beast from human under Rajapakshas!
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Podda / August 20, 2013
Bloody Sharma, this bastard must be sent to Hague along with Rajapakshas for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.
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Fathima Fukushima / August 20, 2013
Everyone wants to genocide Tamils!
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Thiru / August 20, 2013
Don’t gloat, wait for your turn, they will come for Fathimas and Sallies too.
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Point of View / August 20, 2013
Not a Muslim, Thiru. Ignore these scumbags !
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Burt / August 20, 2013
Didn’t they get their “A” kicked when they bent down to pray? Could be Fathima enjoyed it. Whatever that tickles your fancy. :)
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Thondamanaru / August 20, 2013
Let that Bull Dog faced FM of Canada come to our shores with his tail between his legs. This shameless fellow who sent out a growl or was it a grunt to the UK Tamil diaspora to impress upon them to garnet votes in Toronto.
Podda………….. cool down why Sharma to Hague?? One can not fool everybody all the time.leave Sharma alone.
Is Sharma ready to stick up those docs up Bairds Arrrrrrrrseeeee so that he could take them back safely to the coolies in toronto who could clean it up.
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M.SIVANANTHAN / August 20, 2013
Canadian politicians want to abolish the senate because it serves no one. many senators swindled millions as travel expenses. The appointees of Harper are the most. Sen.Pamela Wallin is in hot water for months and the inquiry is going on.
Further Sharma listen to British and Indian PMs.
Mr. Sharma cannot take any decision at his own risk for the common wealth.
Canada is always a spring board for terrorism against Asian countries. The Air India attack of 1985 is a good example. Canadian governments drag the case for more than two decades.
So, this sen.Hagel have to explain to the world what Canada is doing with LTTE terrorists and the Khalistanis against India.
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M.SIVANANTHAN / August 20, 2013
correctio: Hugh Segal and not Hagel!
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Breeze / August 20, 2013
For those of you claiming MARA bribed Sharma, I think you are on the rong track assuming this is a simple case of financial gain (assuming it happened). Considering the community Sharma hails from, it is more likely he is doing this based on ancient racial hatred.
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Ruwan / August 20, 2013
Senator Hugh Segal, The ordinary, peace-loving and Rajapaksha-oppressed and powerless people of Sri Lanka are truly indebted to you and your country for speaking on behalf of truth, law and order and Commonwealth values. When the Rajapakshas have been destroyed and under a future government of ours which would be truly Sri Lankan we will rebuild sound relationships with your country. For now please bear with us and help us defeat these uneducated bastards.
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shan / August 21, 2013
I’m stating regarding on behalf of all sri lankans, According to country like Sri lanka is currently corrupted dictating power. After three decades of war still there is no peace ,propaganda and dictating nothing else. I’m really sad about the people and the society.Why the UN not Observing these kind of propaganda.
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