Kadirgamar nominated for Commonwealth Secretary General’s post

[November 28, 2003 - 7.15 GMT]

Sri Lankan legislator Lakshman Kadirgamar is to run for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth. President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have agreed to nominate the former foreign minister for the post.    

The incumbent Secretary General Don MacKinnon, former New Zealand Foreign Minister will complete his tenure of office in three weeks. 

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 sovereign states, which work together to achieve international goals. Spread over every continent and ocean, the Commonwealth’s 1.7 billion people make up 30% of the world's population.

The Commonwealth Secretary General’s post comes second only to the post of the UN Secretary General. 

This is the first time ever that Sri Lankan has nominated candidates for two most powerful posts in world organizations. Foreign Minister Tyrone Fernando is in the running for the UN Secretary General’s office when Kofi Annan ends his term in 2006. 

PRINT THIS STORY

Contact Information: Send mail to gosl@presidentsl.org with questions or comments about this web site. 
Last Updated Date: November 28, 2003  -7.15 GMT.