What Does The Girl Child Day Mean For Sri Lanka?

By Sujata Gamage -October 12, 2013 

Dr. Sujata Gamage

The Girl Child Day was designated in 2012 to bring attention to disparities in education, nutrition, health and legal rights for young girls. Innovation in Education is the Theme for Girl Child Day for 2013.

For most developing countries, including other countries in the Indian sub-continent, innovations in education are needed indeed to get girls into schools and keep them there. Malala’s case amplifies the extreme of not even being to get to school and the need transform society as a whole to ensure the well-being of the girl child.

In contrast, girls in Sri Lanka are doing ok, if you use conventional measures.  Enrollment rates in primary education are almost 100% irrespective of gender.  Of those who enrolled in universities, say in 2012, 58% were female. True, girls make up almost 75% of enrollments in Arts stream with dismal numbers enrolled in, say, engineering, yet, the bottom line is that our girls can ace exams.

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Herman Was Smoking A Cigarette And Asking To Speak To Gota At Matara Cop Station: Mangy

October 12, 2013 

When he walked into the Matara police station last weekend following violent clashes on the streets of the southern town between warring factions of the United National Party, Herman Guneratne was smoking a cigarette and asking to speak to Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa, UNP Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera claimed yesterday.

Herman

Guneratne, the father of former UNP Provincial Councillor Maithri Guneratne who is leading a radical reformist movement against UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested in connection with a shooting spree against Samaraweera’s supporters that left at least three persons injured from gunshots.

“There he was cool as ever at the police station where he was served coffee, smoking a cigarette and speaking to Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” Samaraweera told a press conference at the UNP’s Sirikotha Headquarters yesterday.

He said the police had no option but to arrest Herman Guneratne because there were so many eyewitnesses and footage of his shooting spree on the streets of Matara.

Samaraweera said the actual witch-hunt was against his own supporters. “28 of them have been arrested and are still being arrested by the police. When I went in and asked the police why they were harassing my supporters when some of them had nothing to do with the incident, they say these people were being identified by the footage provided by Sirasa TV and the Mawbima newspaper,” he charged.

“I asked them whether it was now to Sirasa dictates that the Matara Police was now working,” Samaraweera said.

The UNP MP said that while there was ample video and photographic evidence of the assualts by the anti-Ranil faction that was marching to Colombo from Matara to seek Wickremesinghe’s ouster, these persons were simply not being arrested.

“At least 11 PSD members were inside that procession in civil clothing and their identities have been revealed in the media in detail. Yet there is no action,” he charged.

Samaraweera raised the issue in Parliament which oddly drew angry retorts from Government Ministers all of whom took a vehemently anti-Ranil, anti-Mangala position and praised the pro-Guneratne Sirasa and Mawbima media organisations for doing their jobs.

Dragon lecturing Eagle

Editorial-October 10, 2013, 

With the political deadlock between the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress entering the second week and the federal shutdown showing no signs of going away soon, fear is being expressed internationally that the crisis is likely to spill over into the rest of the world. Apparently panic-stricken, China has lectured the US on the need to honour its commitment to debt servicing and issued a dire warning that the failure on the part of Washington to do so would lead to an international financial calamity of unprecedented proportion. Yes, the global economy will be sent into a tailspin in such an eventuality.

Dragon Lecturing Eagle by nelvely

U.S. Debt-Ceiling Crisis Is A Crisis In Economics

By Hema Senanayake -October 11, 2013 |

Hema Senanayake

The legal and political issues of the U.S. debt-ceiling crisis would be resolved sooner – And as a result the shutdown of the U.S. government will end sooner. But the economic issue behind this crisis will continue, being unresolved.

In order to understand the economic issue behind the debt-ceiling crisis, let us put it as debt-to-GDP ratio. Any increase of the debt-ceiling means that, this ratio would go up. What is the optimal debt-to-GDP ratio for any economy, developed or developing? Do the economists have any credible answer? No. Does the IMF have any official answer? No. The absence of coherent answer to this important question indicates a crisis of the existing world-view of economics.

As at now, according to some estimates, the debt-to-GDP ratio of the U.S. is around 105%. The current debt limit is $16.7 trillion. The U.S. treasury demands that this limit has to be increased on or before October 17, 2013 to prevent defaults. After debt-ceiling is increased the treasury will borrow more and the debt-to-GDP ratio will rise again. In 2008 the same ratio was 64.8%.

By seeing this trend of increasing debt, majority Republicans who dominate the U.S. Congress demand that there should be spending cuts in the government. If we ignore their obsession to repeal Obama-care Act (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), what they mean is that the debt-to-GDP ratio cannot go up and up. Why? They have no economic answer but have a morale one. Republicans say that increasing debt means that those debts will have to be paid by our children and grand-children. If we can’t pay our debt now, so would be for our children until the economic system crashes in big time. Do we pay for the debt that our fathers borrowed? No. We are just piling more debt on top of what we inherited. That is what we do by increasing debt-ceiling.

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Reward Enemy And Lose Friend

By Malinda Seneviratne -October 11, 2013 |

Malinda Seneviratne

There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. We could be talking about Ronnie De Mel’s athleticism, Karu Jayasuriya’s pragmatism laced or coated with ‘national interest’, the prudence of the Thondamans and Hakeems, the self-interest of the 60 plus UNPers who crossed over or corporates covering bases in parliament and in so-called professional associations.  Our concern here, however, is the applicability of the adage to global power politics.

The operative principle is simple enough: if you are not one of the big players, then you side with one of them or play them against each other.  It is true that groupings such as the Non-Aligned Movement can swing the occasional vote in one’s favor.  And yet, typically, what keeps antipathies under check this side of thinly disguised invasion is and always will depend on the ability and willingness of smaller or weaker states to take cognizance of the global power reality.

In the year 2013, there is one set of belligerent, trigger-happy states, i.e. the various coalitions led by the United States of America that rain death and destruction on entities that are not willing to toe the Washington line.  In none of the wars that the USA has launched against innocent peoples has democracy, peace and civilization featured outside of legitimating frill; it has always been about strategic and commercial interests, the extraction of resources, securing of markets and exploitation of people.  Things were easy in the 1990s when Russia was still emerging out of post-Soviet debris and China was not yet the economic giant it is now.  It is all different now.

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Costly renegotiation

by Gagani Weerakoon-Saturday, 12 Oct 2013

The United National Party (UNP) yesterday questioned why the government had renegotiated with the Chinese Exim Bank, to increase the rate of interest from 1.3% to 6.3%, an increase of 5%, on the loan of US$ 306.7 million, which it had obtained to construct the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa International Harbour, Hambantota. UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, raising an oral question in Parliament, asked the Minister of Ports and Highways, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, why such a move was made, when in practice, re-negotiations are held to reduce bank loans or interest rates, and not to pay increased rates.

On being further questioned by Parliamentarian de Silva whether he was aware about the government taking an additional loan of US$ 153 million from China for the Hambantota Port in January 2013, Minister Abeygunawradena responded, saying:

"We did not obtain a loan from China in January 2013, but we took an additional loan of US$ 147 million for the Hambantota Port Development Project at 2% interest, from Exim Bank of China. In all, we have received US$ 306.7 million from China for the harbour project. Though we had earlier decided to pay 1.3% interest, consequent to negotiations between the two parties, the government had agreed to pay 6.3% interest per annum."

MP de Silva, then questioned why such a decision was taken, to which Minister Abeygunawardane said, the responsibility lies with the Finance Ministry as it was that ministry that had negotiated the funding from the Chinese bank.

The Opposition also queried how many ships had arrived at the Hambantota Port other than those carrying vehicles, which had been directed to the Hambantota Port as ordered by the government. Minister Abeygunawadena replied that the government had not issued such a directive.

Cabraal to issue Rs. 10,000 note soon!

 Friday, 11 October 2013 

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who has issued a currency note in the Rs. 5,000 denomination, is planning these days to print a Rs. 10,000 note as well, CB sources say.

A team of officials of the bank are currently in England to discuss and hand over an order to renowned bank note printer De La Rue for the printing of the Rs. 10,000 currency note, which will soon be circulated in Sri Lanka.

The currency note with the highest denomination presently in circulation is the 10,000 Singaporean dollar note. Only a limited number of this currency note is being printed and their numbers have been made available to all global financial institutions involved in currency exchange.

If a Rs. 10,000 currency note is printed and circulated without proper planning, currency experts warn, the financial market could experience serious repercussions. However, the CB governor wants to go further and see that a Rs. 100,000 currency note is issued during his term of office, added the CB sources.

Deputy Minister Faizer’s helicopter ride to Negombo court!

 Friday, 11 October 2013 

Deputy Minister of Investment Promotion Faizer Mustafa, also a lawyer, had asked one of his clients to provide him with a helicopter to go to Negombo to attend a hearing at the district court there. The client had paid Rs. 175,000 to Deccan Airlines for the return journey of the Deputy Minister.

The client in question is Vasu, the owner of ‘Devi Jewellers’, from whom Deputy Minister Faizer Mustafa has charged Rs. 10 million to appear for the case. The Deputy Minister has also taken the ‘Devi Jewellers’ owner to the Defence Secretary, who has resolved threats to him from extortionists. Later, Vasu has told his friends, “If I paid to extortionists, I would have paid only once. But, Faizer has to be paid every day.”

At the request of the President, the Defence Secretary has given STF security to Investment Promotion Deputy Minister Faizer Mustafa, who charges Rs. 150,000 separately from his clients, saying his bodyguards should be paid if they accompany him to courts. The owner of ‘Thambi Gems’, who is the brother-in-law of Rumy Hajjiyar of Akurana, Kandy, a personal friend of the Deputy Minister, had paid this additional Rs. 150,000, in order for Faizer Mustafa to represent him at a hearing in the Ratnapura district court.

The Deputy Minister of Investment Promotion also deals with all foreign investors and swindles them at will, since his Minister, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, is poor in English language use. Faizer Mustafa left on the 9th on a tour of Switzerland.

16 murder files of Sajith when his father was 

President with Gota: Sajth has to dance to his 

tune therefore
(Lanka-e-News- 11.Oct.2013, 7.00PM) The reason for Sajith Premadasa transforming into ‘Sajith Rajapakse’ is because of the exposure of 16 murders committed by Sajith during the tenure of office of his father, and Gota having got to know of this has exploited this information to make Sajith his puppet who is now dancing invariably according to Gotabaya’s wishes , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.
Hereunder are the details of this horrid tale :

16 murder files of Sajith when his father was by nelvely

The Crisis Of The Opposition & The Crisis Of The State

By Dayan Jayatilleka -October 11, 2013 

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

It is no accident that the renovation and recovery of the British Labour Party during the long night of Thatcherism was intellectually spearheaded by three outstanding theoreticians of the Marxian Left, Eric Hobsbawm, Stuart Hall and Martin Jacques, all of whom drew on the political science of Antonio Gramsci to critically comprehend the success, national and cultural, of the Thatcher phenomenon of ‘authoritarian populism’ (Stuart Hall) and the ossification and obsolescence of the Labour Opposition.

There is no better guide to understanding the dual crises of Sri Lankan opposition and state and likely outcomes than Gramsci. His pertinently titled ‘Observations on certain aspects of the structure of political parties in periods of Organic Crisis’ in the essay ‘State and Civil Society’ in his Prison Notebooks could well have been about the United National Party:

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VIP SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE ALSO AT PROTEST AGAINST RANIL - MANGALA

October 11, 2013

UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera today alleged that even VIP security personnel had taken part in the recent protest march against Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe in Matara, and that even army soldiers were attacked by protesters in the clash.

Speaking on the clash which erupted between UNP supporters on October 5 during a protest demanding the removal of Wickramasinghe from UNP leadership, he stated that several state employees were among those wounded from the incident.

The Parliamentarian stated that various pro-government media had reported the incident in a biased manner and that comments made by him regarding the clash were edited.

He claimed that Herman Gunrathne, the father of Provincial Councilor Maithri Gunarathne, who was arrested over a shooting incident at the protest, is a Presidential Advisor and that he had joined the UNP from the Hela Urumaya and is involved with the government again.

Samaraweera stated that there is no problem in arresting even his supporters, who he says were engaging in a peaceful march, if they had committed any wrongdoings.

However, a dispute which could have been resolved at the Mediation Board was ultimately dragged to the police on an order from “higher-ups,” he said, adding, that the government and also pro-government media had backed it.

He claimed that even the Matara Police Station in acting in regard to the incident after considering the news reported by these media organizations.

Soldier remanded for extortion

By Ananda Weerasooriya-Friday, 11 Oct 2013

A soldier who was arrested by Kollupitiya police for allegedly extorting money from shops and massage clinics using the names of Senior Police Officers was produced before Fort Magistrate and District Judge, Thilina Gamage and was remanded till 24 October.

Suspect Indika Lal Siriwardena from Hiriweddala Nawanthuduwa is a soldier attached to 7th Singha Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army.

He had extorted Rs. 5000 from the Manager of Sathsara Massage Clinic in Kolluptiya before being arrested by the police.

The suspect had told the Manager that he has been sent to collect the money by a Senior Police Officer.

Police informed the Court that the suspect had extorted money from the massage parlour on previous occasions as well.(Ceylon Today Online)

FIFA bans Manilal Fernando for life for corruption

October 10, 2013, 12:00 pm 

ZURICH: FIFA has imposed a lifetime ban on Sri Lanka’s behind the scenes soccer supremo, Manilal Fernando, a former executive committee member accused of corruption.

The appeal committee of soccer’s governing body issued the sanction Wednesday against Vernon Manilal Fernando, a Sri Lankan who had previously been banned for eight years.

FIFA rejected his appeal of the eight-year penalty and banned him for life "from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level.’’ FIFA says Fernando broke rules on conflict of interest, bribery and corruption, accepting gifts and other benefits, among other violations.

It did not specify the circumstances of the misconduct.

Fernando’s original ban was announced in April. He had been a close associate of Mohamed bin Hammam, a Qatari who was expelled by FIFA for life after a bribery scandal connected to his failed bid to oust FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Sudarshani omitted at Basil’s request: Arundika who saw Ekneligoda too, left out!

 Thursday, 10 October 2013

 

Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, the widow of the late minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, has been omitted at the last moment from the list of nine deputy ministers who took oaths before the president this morning, at the request of economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa, according to internal sources of the government.

The president had promised Mrs. Fernandopulle that she would be given the women and child development deputy minister position, but minister Basil Rajapaksa had been able to get the promise annulled. Minister Basil’s plan is to ensure that the women’s unit of the SLFP comes under the control of his wife, attorney Pushpa Rajapaksa. Therefore, he is getting rid of every female figure who could pose a challenge to her.

However, in this instance, he tries to give the impression that Mrs. Fernandopulle was omitted at the request of western provincial council minister Nimal Lansa, from whom he gets all his menial jobs done in Gampaha district.

Senior ministers of the SLFP are of the view that the president has once again demonstrated his hatred for traditional SLFPers. The late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had been one of his two friends during the period he studied law at the Law College. The other is Deepthi Bogollagama, the wife of former foreign affairs minister Rohitha Bogollagama. Even after Mahinda Rajapaksa became president, Deepthi Bogollagama continued to address him as ‘Mahinda’, the result of which was that Rohitha Bogollagama was left high and dry.

The late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was a politically inflexible figure and dealt with the president with a ‘don’t care’ attitude, and even addressed him as ‘Machang.’ The president could not at all stomach the manner in which his once closest friend addressed him. The first clash between the president and Mr. Fernandopulle came at a nightly discussion to appoint the cabinet in 2005. Jeyaraj vehemently said he wanted the finance ministry. Leaving the meeting, the president had told Lalith, Dullas and P.B., “How can that be given to him? I want it for myself. Tell him to ask any other thing.” In the end, Jeyaraj agreed to accept the highways ministry.

However, Amarasekara was appointed secretary to the ministry and, using him, first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa unofficially ran the ministry. The situation aggravated and the clash between the president and Jeyaraj worsened. The result was a cabinet reshuffle in end-2006. But, on that occasion Jeyaraj demanded point black that if the highways ministry is withdrawn from him, he wanted the finance ministry. Giving into him, the president beat a temporary retreat. But, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had to pay with his life in April 2008 for having retained the highways ministry. Today’s incident makes it clear that that particular wound is not healed yet, said a SLFP senior who told us the story.

The other prominent figure who did not make it to today’s list of deputy ministers is SLFP organizer for Wennappuwa, Arundika Fernando, who unashamedly lobbied for the government by saying that he had seen the missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda in France. Yesterday (9), he threw a liquor party for a large number of his friends at the SSC club to celebrate his imminent elevation to a deputy ministerial position. Also, he had sent several Papare Bands from Colombo to Wennappura for receptions organized for him in the electorate. A dejected and humiliated Arundika Fernando kept his mobile phone switched off for the entire duration of today and avoided his friends. The plight of MPs Manusha Nanayakkara, P. Digambaram and Prabha Ganeshan who had sold opposition votes to strengthen the hands of the president is no better than the plight of the likes of Sudarshani Fernandopulle and Arundika Fernando, added our sources.

Editors Around The World Defend Guardian: ‘What The Guardian Is Doing Is Important For democracy’

October 11, 2013

On Thursday the Daily Mail described the Guardian as ‘The paper that helps Britain’s enemies‘. Many of the world’s leading editors today good journalism and the Guardian’s reporting of the NSA. Click here to read what they said.

                                                                           Alan Rusbridger - The Editor, the Guardian

MR’s Candidate For Wayamba PC Chairman Defeated

October 11, 2013

In what is seen to be a ruling party protest against Dayasiri Jayasekera‘s appointment as Chief Minister the newly elected North Western Provincial Council today defeated the candidate chosen by the Mahinda Rajapaksa leadership for the post of Council Chairman, instead choosing a UPFA member proposed by the UNP. Voting was by secret ballot.

Dayasiri Jayasekara

Chief Minister Jayasekera who was appointed by the President after he obtained a record number of preferential votes, proposed the name of Indrani Dasanayake for NWPC Chairman.

The Opposition led by the United National Party proposed UPFA member  Dharmasiri Dasanayake for the Chairman.

When a secret ballot was held because there were two nominations made, Indrani Dasanayake obtained only 22 votes, while the UNP/rebel-UPFA’s preferred candidate obtained 30 votes.

The combined opposition has 18 members on the Council while the Government has 34.

The Government members’ protest vote comes on the heels of a similar incident at the Central Provincial Council election of chairman and deputy chairman, when at least seven Government members voted in favour of the opposition candidate nominated to that position.

Faceless MaRa to liquidate the face book too !

(Lanka-e-News- 11.Oct.2013, 7.00PM) It is a universally acknowledged truth that every dictator fears truth and its revelation to his people. This is why news websites and media Institutions are torched in SL. At present , even after committing arson , causing destruction to media Institutions and banning websites by despots and dictators , the latter can continue through the face book . This constitutes a lethal poison to the dictators and despots. Our own beleaguered despot has therefore given out signals at a function at Panadura Balika Vidyalaya yesterday , that the face book should be banned. To the dictator the face book that is a source of delight to the people is a source of horror and a cause of fear .

The President had said at the function , ‘face book is a venomous disease to us . We can ban it if we want.There are methods for that. Don’t have faith in the face book. Have faith in the deity who you see and follow. ’

It is very unfortunate that the President who occupies the highest position in the hierarchy of the country had got all his priorities and perspectives mixed up so mush so that he had given the wrong advice to these growing children : Deities are invisible. Hence instead of telling them to believe in what they see and not in what they do not see , had told the very opposite of it .

Every dictator from Hitler downwards has had this streak of oppression and suppression because of the innate evil power obsession and demonic killer instincts in them. It is therefore not strange for a despot to give such advice for , in the case of a dictator, killing is his favorite hobby, lying is his undying habit, oppression of the people is an ineradicable addiction.

Cameron must speak up over Sri Lanka's human rights abuses

Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the PM must show leadership and prevent the regime from presenting an airbrushed image to the world.
Sri Lankan paramilitary Special Task Force commandos on patrol in Colombo on August 12, 2013. Photograph: Getty Images.

BY KERRY MCCARTHY PUBLISHED 10 OCTOBER 2013 

Next month, Sri Lanka is due to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in its capital Colombo. Hosting the summit is an honour that was rightly denied to the country two years ago because of the its fragile state after the civil war. But just how much progress has Sri Lanka made on human rights since 2011? Many, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, and Amnesty International have warned that Sri Lanka has not yet done enough.

Cameron Must Speak Up Over Sri Lanka's Human Rights Abuses by nelvely

Seizing The Time…..

By Tisaranee Gunasekara -October 10, 2013 |

“The Bird of Time has but a little way, To flay – and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing” - Omar Khayyam (Rubaiyat)

The struggle for devolution in Sri Lanka can be equated with a medley relay. A combination of factors, internal and external, is needed to ensure the success of each of its phases. The pro-devolutionary moderates succeeded in winning the last phase in this contestation thanks to two conjunctural – and thus transitory – factors: the Colombo Commonwealth and Indian elections.

The participation of the Indian Prime Minister in the Colombo Commonwealth is of extreme importance to the Rajapaksas. Delhi obviously used this handle to ensure that the Siblings did not postpone the Northern PC election via a legal shenanigan; or turn the election into another ‘Humanitarian Operation’. The Rajapaksas would have also realised that had the Commonwealth Observers came up with a totally negative report about the manner in which the Northern election was conducted, even the ever-obliging Kamalesh Sharma would not have been able to save their Colombo-bash.

The Manmohan Singh government will complete its term on 31^st May 2014. National elections will take place thereafter. This timetable has enhanced the political clout of Tamil Nadu, tremendously. If national elections had not been impending, the Congress administration could have afforded to ignore the Tamil Nadu factor. With national elections round the corner and with the BJP invigorated by the leadership of the execrable but popular Narendra Modi, the Congress cannot afford to alienate the Tamil Nadu voters, too much. A largely free and fair election resulting in a TNA-led provincial council was the basic minimum requirement to satisfy the moderate majority in Tamil Nadu (and isolate the pro-Tiger hardliners).

Delhi has achieved that, for the Congress, for the Tamils and for Sri Lanka.

The window of opportunity created by this fortuitous combination of Colombo Commonwealth and Indian elections is strictly time-bound. The Rajapaksas will not make any new anti-devolutionary moves until the Colombo Commonwealth is over. But Delhi will not be able to prise out more concessions from the Siblings, as is evident from the zero-outcome of the Salman Khurshid visit. President Rajapaksa did not promise to implement the 13^th Amendment – let alone go beyond it – as he regularly used to do during the war. Instead he recycled his classic time-buying exercise – the parliamentary select committee.Read More

Britain cuts funding for the Commonwealth

As the organisation faces criticism over its forthcoming Sri Lanka summit, major donors are pulling funds due to concerns over its direction

A billboard advertising the forthcoming Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka's captial, Colombo

By Damien McElroy and Steven Swinford -    09 Oct 2013

Britain has pulled funds from the Commonwealth over concerns about its leadership and performance, it emerged on Wednesday, as the troubled organisation faces mounting criticism over its forthcoming summit in Sri Lanka.

With 52 of the organisation’s 53 members prepared to defy human rights protests by gathering in Sri Lanka, concerns over its direction have seen major donors scale back contributions to its budget.

Whitehall has imposed cuts of £3 million over two years from its grant to the Commonwealth Secretariat. Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, provoked fears of a funding crisis this week by warning that Ottawa was looking at the scale of its own “financing”.

Canada is boycotting the November Commonwealth Heads of Government summit over its concerns about the host’s human rights record and continuing extra-judicial killings.

David Cameron faces criticism from an influential group of MPs over his decision to attend the meeting. Several MPs on the foreign affairs select committee want to use a human rights report to be published next week to express “regret” at the Prime Minister’s decision to attend.

Mr Cameron has pledged to raise human rights abuses with Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, who has dismissed widespread international concern about mass violations during and after Sri Lanka’s civil war against Tamil separatists.

Divisions over the Commonwealth’s democratic standards are likely to dominate the summit. The despotic government of Gambia, which last week declared that it was pulling out of the “neocolonial” organisation, upped the ante yesterday by accusing Britain and the US of sponsoring a 1995 coup.

It said Gambia would not surrender its mineral resources to “old vampires and present-day locusts”.

A senior former official at the secretariat, which is based at Marlborough House on Pall Mall, told The Daily Telegraph that the organisation’s troubles went deeper than the splits over the summit. Members were increasingly unhappy with Kamalesh Sharma, the secretary-general. Canada’s threat to withhold funds unless the organisation demonstrated a fresh approach could potentially cripple the organisation. Canada provides £10 million to the Commonwealth every year, the second largest contribution after Britain’s £16 million.

“William Hague has recently conceded to critics of the Commonwealth leadership that a change would be desirable,” the source said. “It is a pity but Mr Sharma is the wrong man for the job. The Commonwealth has a big job to do helping to improve official work in its member states but Mr Sharma is not interested.” A spokesman for Mr Sharma refused to return calls for comment on criticism of its secretariat from its members.

Sources said Whitehall had imposed annual cuts of £1.5 million from a portion of the grant it gives the Commonwealth to spend on improving government standards in its member states.

Officials said the decision was taken in a review in July in which Commonwealth development spending was classified as poor but that the money could be restored if the Commonwealth improved its programmes.

Simon Danczuk, the Labour MP for Rochdale, on Wednesday raised the murder of Khurum Sheikh, 32, a Red Cross worker from Rochdale, in Sri Lanka last year, at Prime Minister’s Questions. He said: “Justice continues to be denied and the key suspect is a close ally of the Sri Lankan president.

“Is the Prime Minister comfortable meeting this president at the Commonwealth Heads of Government next month and what will he say to him?”

One of the men accused of the attack is a prominent figure in Mr Rajapaska’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Mr Cameron replied: “I think it is right for the British Prime Minister to go to the Commonwealth conference.

“But ... we should not hold back in being very clear about those aspects of the human rights record in Sri Lanka that we are not happy with.”