Emphasising that he has nothing to discuss with Chief Justice (CJ) President’s Counsel (PC) Jayantha Jayasuriya regarding the turmoil surrounding the Inspector General of Police (IGP) position, the Chairperson of the Constitutional Council (CC), the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana urged that the matter be pursued through a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition before the Supreme Court (SC).
President and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, on 28 July, called on Abeywardana and Jayasuriya PC to engage in discussions and address the problematic situation regarding the IGP position.
When queried by The Daily Morning whether he would seek an audience with the CJ to discuss the matter, as suggested by the President, the Speaker responded that he has no reason to engage with Jayasuriya PC.
“What would I discuss with him? There is nothing for me to talk about. There is no law that empowers me to address this issue, nor do I have the right to do so. The appointment or removal of the IGP is beyond my purview; it falls outside my responsibilities.”
Abeywardana, noting that he had clarified the matter thoroughly in the Parliament, said that the issue concerning the IGP post is now beyond his or the President’s resolution. “I made it very clear in the Parliament that this is not something that can be resolved by me or the President. What more is there to discuss once I have said that? We should act wisely. We cannot meddle in these matters based solely on feelings. Everything must be handled within the confines of the law.”
When questioned by The Daily Morning about his suggestions for resolving the issue, he responded: “This situation arose due to the SC’s interim order. Therefore, one should present the matter directly before the SC, highlighting that the absence of an IGP has created a serious issue while a Presidential Election is underway. They should argue that their FRs have been violated because of this issue and request a resolution. This interim order against Tennakoon was issued in response to certain FR petitions, wasn’t it?”
The SC recently issued the interim order in question, granting leave to proceed to nine FR petitions filed by several parties including the Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and the Young Journalists’ Association, challenging Tennakoon’s appointment as the IGP and the related endorsement by the CC.
Emphasising that the presence of an IGP is vital to hold the Presidential Election on 21 September, President Wickremesinghe, during a public rally in Homagama last week, said that the CC Chair and the CJ must negotiate and resolve the issue, thereby ensuring the timely holding of the Presidential Election.