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%10 %b. %2013|News

Sri Lanka MPs Sign up to Curb Corruption

Ottawa, Canada – Parliamentarians from the Indian Ocean island nation of Sri Lanka 
have voted to set up the 48th national chapter of the Global Organisation of 
Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC). 
Meeting at the Parliament of Sri Lanka complex in Sri Jayawardanepura, Kotte, 
government and Opposition members of Parliament (MPs) signed up to ensure there was 
transparent oversight of anti-corruption, mindful that in 2004 Sri Lanka became the first 
South Asian country to sign the United Nations Convention Against Corruption 
(UNCAC). 
“It was tremendous to see nearly 20 MPs attend Parliament on a non-sitting day to 
establish their GOPAC Sri Lanka group and elect an executive committee reflecting MPs 
from government and opposition with gender equity reflecting the diverse ethnic and 
culture of democratic Sri Lanka,” said GOPAC Oceania Chair John Hyde, who attended 
the meeting. 
The GOPAC Sri Lanka MPs elected the Hon Rauff Hakeem MP as Chair. Hon Hakeem 
serves as the Minister of Justice and is the Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, a 
minority party member of the Sri Lankan Government. 
“The GOPAC MPs will meet on October 8 to adopt our yearly action plan – MPs at the 
AGM identified money laundering, review of the UNCAC and transparency in 
procurement as issues they may consider,” said Hon J. Sri Ranga, who was elected as 
secretary of GOPAC Sri Lanka. 
Hon Sri Ranga and Mr Hyde met on the sidelines of the UN’s high-level meeting on the 
Millenium Development Goals Post-2015 in March in Indonesia and agreed that GOPAC 
should assist MPs in Sri Lanka to establish a parliamentarian-driven local chapter. 
GOPAC is a worldwide alliance of parliamentarians working together to combat 
corruption, strengthen good government, and uphold the rule of law. Based in Ottawa, 
Canada, GOPAC has 48 national chapters on 5 continents. GOPAC supports its 
members’ efforts through original research, global anti-corruption capacity building, and 
international peer support
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