The Secretary General of the British Commonwealth Patricia Scotland has called for a peaceful transition of power in Sri Lanka after public protests forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.
“The Commonwealth is a community that is underpinned by our shared values,” Scotland said in a statement.
“As one of the oldest democracies in Asia and a founding member of the modern Commonwealth, Sri Lanka has always shown its strong commitment to these tenets, which are cherished and trusted by its people.
She called on all those in positions of leadership to safeguard democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights.”
Sri Lanka is in severe monetary crisis after seven years of money printing and stimulus under flexible inflation targeting/output gap targeting triggered three currency crises in a row.
“It is important that the concerns of the people of Sri Lanka on governance and other issues are addressed and she urged continued dialogue to this end and call on the international community to continue to assist Sri Lanka in this hour of economic need,” Scotland said.
She expressed the hopel that these challenges will be met according to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland QC, has called on political leaders in Sri Lanka to safeguard democratic governance, the rule of law and human rights, in adherence with the values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter.
The Secretary-General also reiterated the Commonwealth Secretariat’s commitment to support Sri Lanka in protecting and strengthening its institutions and constitutional governance and facilitating economic stability.
She called on all in Sri Lanka to exercise restraint with a view to a peaceful transition of power.
As one of the oldest democracies in Asia and a founding member of the modern Commonwealth, Sri Lanka has always shown its strong commitment to these tenets, which are cherished and trusted by its people.
The Secretary-General has been in contact with Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other leaders of Sri Lanka.
“It is important that the concerns of the people of Sri Lanka on governance and other issues are addressed and she urged continued dialogue to this end and call on the international community to continue to assist Sri Lanka in this hour of economic need.
The Commonwealth Secretariat stands ready to assist Sri Lanka in ensuring constitutional principles, and the values of the Commonwealth Charter, are upheld
