Speaker to write letter addressing President’s concerns on Constitutional Council

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has stated that he intends on writing a letter to the President, in response to the latter’s concerns raised pertaining to the Constitutional Council during his parliamentary speech on Thursday (23 Nov.).

Accordingly, Abeywardena made this announcement in his capacity as the Chairman of the relevant Council, when Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had criticised certain activities carried out by the Council yesterday.

Thus, the Parliament Speaker noted that in a letter addressed to the Head of State, he will explain the facts and concerns expressed by the President in parliament..

On 23 November, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that a Parliamentary Select Committee will be appointed next week to inquire into the delays by the Constitutional Council in approving names to high posts.

President Wickremesinghe said this in response to concerns raised by MP Rauff Hakeem pertaining to the several discrepancies in the appointment of high posts within Sri Lanka Police, and the dire consequences caused by this.

“What has happened now is that there is no Inspector General of Police, and there are no Judges either. I don’t know how justice is expected to prevail, because now, the police cannot work, and neither can the court…If certain members of the Constitutional Council itself are working in a destructive manner, we cannot implement this method…So we will be appointing a Parliamentary Select Committee next week to inquire into this Council, because otherwise, we can’t make appointments to the Police, or the Judiciary”, the President said.