Misunderstanding our system of government will be the first step in the direction of future abuses of power and unconstitutional action. Sri Lanka will elect a new president on 16 November 2019. While unusually that will be neither the current President nor the current Prime Minister, what is less well understood is that the office […]
Constitutional Council
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Mangla Samaraweera responds to Sirisena’s attack on 19th A, CC and HRC-SL
Image: Minister Samaraweera at HRC30 (c) S.Deshapriya. (Text of Speech made by the Minister of Finance and Media, Hon. Mangala Samaraweera during the adjournment debate on the Constitutional Council in Parliament on 21st February 2019) Hon. Speaker, • If my memory serves me right, I cannot recall an occasion in Sri Lanka’s recent history when […]
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Letter to Sirisena from civil society: Your statements on CC and HRCSL are appalling.
19th February, 2019. Dear President Sirisena, We, the below signed citizens and civil society organizations of Sri Lanka are dismayed and alarmed by your recent statements, including in the Parliament (6th February, 2019), pertaining to the Constitutional Council (CC) and the Human Rights Commission (HRCSL). The Constitutional Council and the Human Rights Commission are among […]
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Speaker Jayasuriya exposes President Sirisena’s false statement attacking the Constitutional Council
Speaker of House Karu Jayasuriya today informed Parliament that President Maithripala Sirisena’s statement in Parliament last evening, claiming that the Constitutional Council disregarded seniority when making appointments and dismissed 12 of the President’s recommendations is unsubstantiated. The Speaker making a special statement noted that the Constitutional Council in principle does not use seniority as a […]
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Sri Lanka president Sirisena attacks independence of HRCSL and Constitutional Council; Ask HR organisations to stay away.
Speaking at the parliament on 06th Feb. President Sirisena criticised the independent Human Rights Council of Sri Lanka and Constitutional Council. Further he indirectly threatened the human rights organitions not to critise his decision to implement death penalty. “I request Human Rights Organizations not to object to the move to implement the death penalty as […]
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Sri Lanka heads for political stalemate as extremisms come to the fore
Extremist ethno-politics is raising its head once again in Sri Lanka, both in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province and in the Sinhalese-dominated South, pushing the island nation towards a political stalemate once again. With the conflict getting surcharged with emotion, irrational action could follow with far reaching consequences, writes P.K.Balachandran in South Asian Monitor. In the […]
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Sri Lanka Parliament Approves Civil sSciety Representatives of Constitutional Council
The Parliament today approved the 3 names nominated to represent the civil society in the Constitutional Council (CC). The names of Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy and Shibly Aziz were nominated for the council, which will comprise seven members from the Parliament and three independent members. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and […]
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Govt. & Opposition Agree on 10-member Constitutional Council
( President Sirisena has appointed Champika Ranawaka as his representative to the CC) In spite of heavy ‘confrontations’ both in and outside parliament over allegedly fraudulent Treasury bond issues, the UNP-led government and the Opposition have reached agreement on the formation of a 10-member Constitutional Council paving the way to the setting up of 11 […]
