LLRC spokesperson Lakshman Wickramasinghe yesterday expressed concern about a statement made by UPFA National List MP Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe in an interview with the BBC.

The spokesman said: “The Commission was indeed concerned about a comment made on its work by a Government spokesman in a recent BBC programme. The Commission wishes to reiterate that it has an independent mandate derived from the Presidential Warrant dated 15 May 2010 and accordingly the content and the pace of its work, including its work programme, are independent of any wishes articulated by any spokesperson, Governmental or non-governmental, here or abroad. The main determinant of the pace of Commissions work is its commitment to be objective and as comprehensive as possible in discharging its complex mandate. The Commission therefore notes with regret the comment by the Governemnt spokesman.

The LLRC was responding to Wijesinghe’s reply to a query by Stephen Sackur on BBC Hard Talk.

Asked whether Wijesinghe was satisfied with the way the LLRC was working, the government spokesman said: I tend to believe it can go more quickly than they do. I am critical about how slow they are but of course we can’t affect the Commission. I thought there should have been another interim report and I said so but of course we can’t affect the Commission.
IS