Constitutional Council Abolished, Appointment Of Members To Independent Commissions Taken Over By President!

The government is preparing, through the amendments to the Constitution it hopes to present to Parliament next month, to remove provisions in the 17th amendment of appointing the Constitutional Council say reports.

It is the Constitutional Council that has the right to appoint members to independent commissions established through the 17th amendment. However, with the removal of the Constitutional Council all the powers in the commission will be concentrated with the President of the commission.    

Under the 17th amendment to the Constitution a Constitutional Councils of 10 members should be established which include a representatives each from the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and five members named with the concurrence of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and a member appointed by the minority political parties in the Parliament.  

Accordingly, the President should get the approval of the Constitutional Council when appointing members to the seven independent commissions which are Election Commission, Public Service Commission, National Police Commission, Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, Bribery Commission, Finance Commission and Delimitation Commission. However, with the proposed new amendment to the Constitution appointing of members to such commissions will be taken over by the President.   

Also, the new amendment will include consulting the Prime Minister, the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition regarding appointments to independent commissions but such consultation would not be compulsory.

Meanwhile, it is stated that clauses will be included in the new amendment for the President to hold the post for any number of times. The cabinet approved the amendment to the Constitution last week. Accordingly, a committee headed by Minister G.L. Peiris has already prepared a draft of the amendments to be made say reports.