26.02.2008
Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
 |
|
Tyrone
Fernando has served the country as Foreign Minister,
Minister of Law Reforms and Media Minister.
|
Tyronne
Fernando [67], Ambassador designate for France and a senior
Advisor to President Mahinda Rajapakse, passed away at
a private hospital in Colombo this morning.
The
Oxford educated, former senior Parliamentarian has held
several ministerial posts in the past. He served as Foreign
Minister in the United National Front Government briefly
led by Ranil Wickremasinghe. During his tenure as country’s
Foreign Minister, he had also announced his candidature
for the post of UN Secretary-General.
Fernando,
has served the country as Foreign Minister, Minister of
Law Reforms and Media Minister. After 27 years of uninterrupted
election as an UNP MP, he was at the 2004 Election included
in the National List, but kept out of Parliament due to
what he called an "arbitrary and undemocratic"
decision of the UNP Leader.
Mr.
Fernando then said that it had much to do with his having
always advocated a Government of National Reconciliation
to solve the ethnic crisis.
Fernando
is a MA of Oxford University (where he was the first Asian
to be elected as Chairman of the Oxford University Labour
Club), a Barrister-at-Law of Gray's Inn and President's
Counsel and was Cricket Board President during the critical
years 1991 to 1994. He is also the author of several books
including one on the ethnic crisis 100 days in 87.
As
President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board in the early
nineties, he built up a team, which won the World Cup
in 1996. He is an author of eight books, journalist, cricketer,
film producer and an expert on international relations
(who has attended numerous international conferences and
meetings.
Courtesy
- Asian Tribune