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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(CHOGM)Colombo, Sri Lanka November 15-17,2013

The 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from November 15-17,2013


This will be the first time in 40 years that QueenElizabeth II will not be present at the CHOGM. Prince Charles will be attending ob her behalf, as she has curtailed her overseas visits due to age
 
CHOGM 2013 has heads of nearly 30 countries taking part, apart from senior-level delegations from other member-countries

The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, stated that he would not attend the meeting as a protest of Sri Lanka's alleged failure to improve its human rights record.Canada is home to the largest expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil community. Many migrated over the past few decades as civil war gripped Sri Lanka

Canadian Tamil Community gathered in large front of Ottawa Parliament to thank Prime Minister Stephen Harper and  government for standing brave on Human Right violations in Sri Lanka by boycotting the Sri Lankan Commonwealth summit CHOGM




Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced his decision to not participate in the event on account of the country's poor human rights record. India would be represented at the summit by a delegation lead by External Affairs Minister  Salman Khurshid

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent a letter to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressing his inability to attend the summit, said Syed Akbaruddin, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman. He did not divulge the contents of the letter.

Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has become the third leader to announce a boycott as he told Mauritius' parliament on Tuesday Nov 12,2013 that he would not attend the meeting and that Mauritius will instead be represented by Foreign Minister Arvin Boolell

"My information that I have tried to get from different quarters is that the Sri Lankan Government is not doing enough," Mr Ramgoolam told parliament, referring to Sri Lanka's human rights record.
"I cannot, with the principle that I have taken all this time I am in politics, attend the summit," he added.


About CHOGM
The meet is a biennial summit meeting of the Heads of Govt from all Commonwealth Nations
There are 54 Members
Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state, and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime Minister or President
The1st CHOGM was held in 1971, and there have been 22 held in total
Year Date Country Town Retreat Chairperson
1971 14–22 January Singapore Singapore None Lee Kuan-Yew
1973 2–10 August Canada Ottawa Mont-Tremblant Pierre Trudeau
1975 29 April – 6 May Jamaica Kingston None Michael Manley
1977 8–15 June United Kingdom London Gleneagles Hotel James Callaghan
1979 1–7 August Zambia Lusaka Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda
1981 30 September – 7 October Australia Melbourne Canberra Malcolm Fraser
1983 23–29 November India Goa Fort Aguada Indira Gandhi
1985 16–22 October Bahamas Nassau Lyford Cay Lynden Pindling
1986 3–5 August United Kingdom London None Margaret Thatcher
1987 13–17 October Canada Vancouver Okanagan Brian Mulroney
1989 18–24 October Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Langkawi Mahathir bin Mohamad
1991 16–21 October Zimbabwe Harare Victoria Falls Robert Mugabe
1993 21–25 October Cyprus Limassol None George Vasiliou
1995 10–13 November New Zealand Auckland Millbrook Jim Bolger
1997 24–27 October United Kingdom Edinburgh St Andrews Tony Blair
1999 12–14 November South Africa Durban George Thabo Mbeki
2002 2–5 March Australia Coolum None John Howard
2003 5–8 December Nigeria Abuja Aso Rock Olusegun Obasanjo
2005 25–27 November Malta Valletta Mellieħa Lawrence Gonzi
2007 23–25 November Uganda Kampala Munyonyo Yoweri Museveni
2009 27–29 November Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain Laventille Heights Patrick Manning
2011 28–30 October Australia Perth Kings Park Julia Gillard

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