Dispute over SLPP breakaway group hinders CC’s functionality

COLOMBO (Daily Mirror) - The appointment of the tenth member to the Constitutional  Council (CC) has been hampered over differences within the opposition, eventually leading to its activities being hamstrung, Daily Mirror  learns.  

According to the Constitution, the current vacancy which  has existed for more than one year should be reserved for a member of  the third-largest party in Parliament, not represented either by the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader. As such, Tamil National  Alliance (TNA) Jaffna District MP Dharmalingam Siddharthan has been  nominated to the post.  

However, the political group which defected from  Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has also staked a claim for it.  However, their claim is disputed because they were elected to Parliament  on the SLPP ticket and therefore could not be construed as a separate  political entity in the House.   

The deadlock not only hinders CC’s overall functionality in  terms of appointments of members to key positions such as the Inspector  General of Police (IGP).   

Earlier, President Ranil Wickremesinghe criticised the CC  claiming that certain members of the CC were sabotaging the activities  of the government by not approving the names sent by him for the  judiciary and the IGP.  

He told Parliament that a separate Parliamentary Select Committee would be appointed by next week to look into the CC.  

“IGP is not there. Judges are not there. I wonder how we  can mete out justice. Neither the police nor the judiciary can work. If  certain members of the CC were sabotaging the activities of the  government, we cannot continue this system,” he said.  

The President said as Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa  had given his consent to recognise SLPP dissents including Prof. G.L.  Peiris as a separate party had created an issue.  

“You all recognise Prof. G.L. Peiris as a party. The moment  you recognise them, as a party they also can make a claim,” he said and  added that “They are not a party. They should not have been in the  front-row seat.   
The President said there was a dispute among the smaller  parties over the smaller party representation in the CC and said it  should be resolved by the opposition.  

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the opposition had  agreed upon TNA member Dharmalingam Siddharthan as the smaller party  representation in the CC and that the Speaker must make the appointment.  
Opposition Leader Premadasa, who responded to the  President’s allegations, said that the CC was not responsible for the  appointment of the IGP and the members of the judiciary. He said the  President’s failure to make a permanent appointment as the IGP had  created an uncertain situation.        

•  If  certain members of the CC were sabotaging the activities of the  government, we cannot continue this system