The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) today expressed its deep concern regarding the prolonged failure to appoint a permanent Auditor General following the retirement of the former Auditor General in April 2025. 

In a letter addressed to the President, the association said that this crucial office has remained vacant for a period exceeding ten months.

The Office of Auditor General, established under Article 153(1) of the Constitution, is of paramount importance for the functioning of all State Institutions and other entities as provided in Article 154 of the Constitution. 

The absence of a permanent Auditor General has serious implications for the effective functioning of the National Audit Office and for the accountability of State Institutions and other entities mandated under the Constitution, the letter said.

The urgency of this appointment is heightened by the present circumstances, the BASL said, adding that Sri Lanka is emerging from a financial crisis with the support of the Extended Fund Facility of the International Monetary Fund and other international agencies. 

In addition, the country is currently receiving foreign financial assistance in response to the disaster situation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. In this context, financial accountability and transparency of State Institutions are of paramount importance, the Bar Association emphasized.

The BASL also noted that the person nominated thus far by the President for the post of Auditor General has not gained the acceptance of the majority of the Constitutional Council. 

“It is therefore imperative that a candidate of proven competence, integrity, and independence-who commands wide acceptance within the Constitutional Council-is appointed, rather than a partisan figure,” the letter stressed. 

Such an appointment, the BASL said will strengthen confidence in the National Audit Office and ensure that the constitutional mandate of the Auditor General is fulfilled without compromise.

As an institution committed to upholding accountability and transparency in governance, the BASL respectfully urged the President to take immediate steps to appoint a permanent Auditor General under and in terms of Article 153(1) of the Constitution. 

This appointment is essential to safeguard the integrity of the National Audit Office and the confidence of both citizens and international partners in the financial governance of the State, it added.