Expected
support did not come: Kadir
Former
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who contested for
the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth yesterday said
that it was with the backing of the African countries that he had
decided to contest, but added that the support originally assured
had not materalised.
In an interview
with The Sunday Times Mr. Kadirgamar dismissed speculation
that he had decided to contest the post as he was unhappy about
the local political situation and said he would continue in politics.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
Q: Could
you set out reasons for contesting for the Secretary General's post?
A: Two months ago the Tanzanian mission in London approached
our mission in London saying that there is considerable discontent
among the African countries about the performance of the current
Secretary General. The Tanzanians had asked whether an Asian, especially
a Sri Lankan candidate could be put up against the present
Secretary General whose first term is about to expire. At that time
Sri Lanka said it had no candidate.
Q: But
how was it that you were selected to contest ?
A: Two weeks ago I went to Rumania for a meeting of the
Policy Advisory Commission of the World Intellectual property Organisation.
There was some backroom discussion among eminent members including
persons like Salim Salim, former Premier of Tanzania and Secretary
General of the Orgnisation of African Unity about the Commonwealth
and the problems it is facing. I was told about the discontent.
From Rumania I went to Geneva and there a senior African diplomat,
and old friend, also said that there is considerable discontent
among Africans about the Commonwealth Secretary General and suggested
I should run for the post, though it was late. He said that the
Africans were thinking of bringing a no-confidence motion against
the Secretary General. I said that would be a very bad thing to
do. From there I went to London where I found that the situation
was very bad between the Africans and the current Secretary General.
A group of persons
interested in Commonwealth affairs put it to me bluntly that I should
seriously consider offering myself as a candidate. I had to be an
Asian because in the 55 year history of the Commonwealth there had
no Asian Secretary General. I felt that it would be helpful to give
the African countries a choice of candidates by providing an Asian
candidate so that they would have an alternative way of looking
at their problems. I told them they should not boycott the Commonwealth
meeting or bring a no-confidence motion against the Secretary General.
At this time there was a clear indication of support for my candidature
from the Commonwealth Division of the British Foreign Office.
Q: What
was the support you had from Sri Lanka?
A: I mentioned to the President when I returned without
any hesitation he said that this would be a very good thing for
the country in one sense although if I succeeded it would be a loss
to her, the party and the country. The President spoke to the Prime
Minister. I met the Prime Minister whose reaction was that he too
had heard of these rumblings and discontent. But since Sri Lanka
had no candidate in mind he had not followed the matter. However
if the African countries wanted an Asian candidate he was happy
that they had picked on me. He was positive and helpful on the matter.
Q: There
was only a short time to campaign and you still decided to go ahead
?
A:Yes we sent out letters from the President to 52
Heads of State or Government about my candidature. The Prime Minister
approved the letter. We had only about nine days from the date of
the letters to the summit meeting.
I took the view and the African missions in London agreed, that
this would be an issue oriented election not a mere contest between
two individuals. Therefore elaborate comparing would not be necessary.
The African and Indian High Commissioners in London were very supportive.
The President
spoke to Prime Minister Vajpayee. He said although the candidature
was late that Indian delegation to Abija, where the summit
would meet, would take a standing and consider their position. When
our delegation comprising Foreign minister Tyrone Fernando,
High commissioner Faiz Mustapha, from London and Mangala Munasinghe from
Delhi, together with senior officials got to Abija, they found
there was considerable support from the African Block of 16 states.
In fact the Southern African countries (SADEC) with 12 states
including South Africa had formally adopted our candidature.
President Mbeki had
made a strongly supportive statement at their Group meeting. Apart
from the African Block, Asia has eight, the Caribbean twelve, South
Pacific nine and others seven. Africa and Asia combined plus a few
others could yield the twenty-seven votes required for a majority.
India, Bangladesh and South Africa campaigned forcefully for us.
The Africans were going to canvass the Caribbean. Up to about one
hour before the meeting began Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Singha ,
the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary and South African President Mbeki told
our delegation not to withdraw our candidature. Because there was
a grand swell of support for us that would come out in a secret
ballot.
Q: What
happened at that poll?
A- The incumbent Secretary General had 41
votes and I had 11. Because this was a secret ballot, no one will
know authoritatively who voted for whom but it is a sound possibility
that our 11 votes comprised India, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri
Lanka plus seven African states including South Africa which had
been openly supportive and some other major states.
Q: Any
regrets at contesting ?
A: None at all.
Q: You
say that there was limited time for campaigning. In that case do
you think it was advisable to go ahead ?
A: We had to make our assessments in Nigeria itself. When
our people got there they found that there seem to be a considerable
support. In international politics feelings often do not translate
into votes.
Q: Was
there any particular reason for the change of support ?
A: We will never know the reasons. Secret deals may have
been done. Deals are often done in international affairs between
countries on a bilateral basis. What we do know is that much of
the support that was promised did not ultimately materialise.
Q: You
were expecting support mainly from the African countries and Asia?
A: Yes. There was no support coming from Britain, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. As far as the South Pacific is concerned
they are very small countries. We have no missions there. It was
reasonable to think that those votes would go to New Zealand which
has a dominant influence in that region. In the Caribbean countries,
some have only 40,000 people. We have no reach there ; and no missions.
The southern African countries said they were going to lobby for
the support of these countries. But obviously they had not been
successful.
Q- Do
you think that the absence of the President and Prime Minister at
the Commonwealth Conference was a setback?
A- In my opinion it was not decisive. it might have
been useful marginally. But given the time factor I do not think
it would have been helpful.
Q: There
has been speculation that it is due to political differences that
you decided to contest for this post ?
A: I have heard about that. That is really unfounded. Obviously
if I got the post I would have quit local politics. But the reason
for my deciding in London that I would offer myself as a candidate
has nothing to do whether I wanted to quit local politics or not.
It was a principled decision to my way of thinking.
The dominant reason was that I was persuaded on the information
that there was a major problem in the Commonwealth and that in the
circumstances I offered myself as an alternative candidate. I was
prepared to be that candidate as a gesture to the African community.
I would not have got 11 votes with no personal effort.
Q: So
you will remain in active politics ?
A: Yes, certainly. I will remain a Member of Parliament
and a member of the Opposition and I will carry on so long as I
consider I have something useful to offer to the country if I reach
the conclusion that I am no longer useful I will quit. That will
be my decision alone. I do not hanker after office. I entered politics
on Mrs. Kumaratunge's invitation giving up in the process a
large professional income which would have been helpful to me as
I grow older to be of some service to my people.
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