US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1255

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/VFA THERESA A. JOHNSON, HELEN MOBLEY, MCAIN; 
SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT:  FY-04 VOLUNTARY VISITOR PROGRAM 
MRS. PRIYANEE WIJESEKERA - DETAIL BIO DATE 
 
 
1.  Post submits details bio date of Mrs. Priyanee Wijesekera, 
Secretary General of Parliament, for a voluntary visitor program, 
 
SIPDIS 
September 10-16, 2004.  Post confirms that this nomination has 
"full country team approval". 
 
2. Ms. Wijesekera can be contacted in Canada through Sri Lanka's 
High Commissioner, Mrs. Geetha de Silva. 
 
 
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): 
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables 
: automated processing in Washington and should not be 
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. 
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.7 
POST-EMAIL: tilakawardenac@state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
ECA-OFFICE: E/VFA 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 144 
ECA-PROJ-NO: 
PROJ-NAME: VOLUNTARY VISITOR -- Priyanee Wijesekera 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Individual 
PROG-TYPE: Voluntary Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 
SESSION-DATE: 09/10/2004 
RETURN-POST: 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 0 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
The secretarial and staff services necessary for the performance 
of the functions of the parliament under the constitution are 
provided by the office of the Secretary General of Parliament.  It 
functions mainly under 5 departments, viz., the Department of the 
Sergeant-at-Arms, the Administration Department, the Hansard 
Department, the Co-ordinating Engineer's Department and the 
Catering department. 
Sri Lanka is debating with the idea of TV coverage of all 
parliament sittings.  Presently, only ceremonial and swearing in 
ceremonies are covered.  Ms. Wijesekera's exposure to the media 
coverage of the Congress can influence the predicament the Sri 
Lankan Government is faced with. 
Ms. Wijesekera's exposure to the working of committees with public 
consultation in the congress will also help Sri Lanka to 
streamline and expedite passing of important bills.  Her hands on 
experience at the Congress will greatly improve her working 
knowledge of parliamentary procedures.  This nomination is in 
support of MPP goal "democracy". 
 
 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1029 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: IND 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 30 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: Federalism/U.S. Government 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mrs 
F-NAME: Priyanee 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: Wijesekera 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 100 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
GENDER: F 
DOB: 03/30/1948 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Secretary-General of Parliament  (August 2002 to date) 
 
SIPDIS 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
May 1994 - Aug 2002 - Deputy  Secretary General of Parliament 
Sep 1992 - May 1994 - Assistant Secretary General of Parliament 
June 1992 - Sep 1992 - Research Officer, Parliament of Sri Lanka 
June 1985 - June 1992 - Secretary, Law Commission 
Feb 1984- June 1985 - Assistant Secretary, Law Commission 
Nov 1974 - Feb 1984 - Legal officer, Bribery Commissioner's 
Department 
July 1972 - Nov 1974 -Research Assistant, Ministry of Justice 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
Enroute to Jamaica - to attend the Commonwealth Law Conference, 
1985 
Enroute to Trinidad and Tobego - to attend the Commonwealth 
Parliamentary Conference, 1999 
Enroute to Chile -- to attend the Inter Parliamentry Union 
sessions, 2003 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
Travelled extensively to Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
L.L.B (Ceylon), 1969 
L.L.M (Colombo) 1986 in Public International Law (Human Rights and 
the Law of the sea) 
 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
Secretary General of Parliament 
 
SIPDIS 
Member , Association of Inter Parliamentary Union 
Member, Society of Clerk-at-the Table, Commonwealth Parliamentry 
Association 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
Parliaments and Governments in the Next Millenium, 1999 
Parliamentary Practice in Sri Lanka 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 5 
ENGL-SPEAK: 5 
ENGL-COMP: 5 
START OTHER-LANGS: 
OTHER-LANG: English 
OTHER-LANG-ID: EN 
READ: 0 
SPEAK: 0 
COMP: 0 
END OTHER-LANGS: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
The secretarial and staff services necessary for the performance 
of the function of the parliament under the constitution are 
provided by the office of the Secretary General of Parliament.  It 
functions mainly under 5 departments, viz, the Department of the 
Sergeant-at-Arms, the Administration Dpartment, the Hansard 
Department, the Co-ordinating Engineer's Department and the 
Catering Department. 
Sri Lanka is debating with the idea of TV coverage of all 
parliament sittings.  Presently, only ceremonial and swearing in 
ceremonies are covered.  Ms. Wijesekera's exposure to the media 
coverage of the Congress can influence the predicament the Sri 
Lankan Government is faced with. 
Ms.Wijesekera's exposure to the working of committees with public 
consultation in the Congress will also help Sri Lanka to 
streamline and expedite passing of important bills.  Her hands on 
experience at the Congress will greatly improve her working 
knowledge of parliamentary procedures.  This nomination is in 
support of MPP goal "Democracy". 
 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
to visit the US Congress 
-- process of Public Consultation by Committees especially in 
relation to Bills and the Services provided by staff to Congress 
Members 
-- Media coverage of Congress 
-- Library of Congress 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Angela Gemza 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Ms. Wijeseker'a legal career has taken her from the Ministry of 
Justice to the Bribery Commissioner's Department, to her current 
employer, the Parliament of Sri Lanka.  Ms. Wijesekera is the 
first female Secretary General of Parliament in the 56 year old 
post independence history of Sri Lanka.  As the Secretary General 
of Parliament, she is responsible for the administrative 
functioning of Parliament.  As evidenced by her past appointments, 
Ms. Wijesekera has a strong commitment to clean government and the 
rule of law.  She has expressed interest in Congressional 
consultations with the public, the role of Congressional staff, 
media coverage of Congress, and the Library of Congress.  This 
broad range of interests illustrates her enthusiasm for and 
interest in the American legislative system.  Ms. Wijesekera will 
return with a broader perspective on legislative matters and 
practical ideas for enhancing good governance in Sri Lanka. 
Post confirms that this nomination has "Full Country Team" 
approval. 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 188 
PERSON-ID: 194 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 0 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 45.1002 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0 
USGOVT-AGENCY2: 
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 
INTL-ORG1: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 
INTL-ORG2: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 
COMMISSION: 0 
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-CAT: 5 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: 
 
3. Please accept this nomination. 
Lunstead