21 September 2021 12:00 am Views - 167
By Kelum Bandara
A recent court determination will provide for the setting of a monitoring mechanism on NGOs to be incorporated in terms of private members’ bills, an official said.
Director General of the National NGO Secretariat Raja Goonaratne told Daily Mirror that the Supreme Court determined that the NGO called ‘Human Rights Organisation’ purported to be established under a private member’s bill by SJB (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) MP Tissa Attanayake was unconstitutional. Mr. Goonaratne was also one of the Petitioners who moved court against it.
Commenting on the implications of the court determination, he said a provision should be included in such bills in the future providing for the establishment of a mechanism to monitor the NGOs to be incorporated. He said the monitoring authority of the NGO concerned should be envisaged in the incorporation of it through Parliament.
Also, he said such NGOs should be incorporated in a manner that will not infringe people’s sovereignty.