The National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) led by former Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has called for the immediate appointment of a Parliamentarian to the vacant membership of the Constitutional Council (CC).
A Parliamentarian belonging to Parliamentary groups that do not belong to the Government (the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna [SLPP] and the United National Party) or the main Parliamentary Opposition Party (the Samagi Jana Balawegaya [SJB]) should be included in the CC, but the relevant vacancy is yet to be filled.
In a statement issued, Jayasuriya said that considering certain problematic situations which have arisen in relation to decisions made by the CC in the recent past, it is important that the relevant vacancy be filled as soon as possible.
“Despite the enforcement of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, a vacancy remains on the CC. This lapse is concerning, and it is perplexing that such a crucial appointment remains unfilled. Given the problematic situations arising from past decisions of the CC, we believe that this appointment should be made without further delay.”
Speaker, and Chairperson of the Constitutional Council (CC) Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, on an earlier occasion, said that a situation has arisen where it is not possible to appoint an MP for the said vacancy without amending some of the CC-related provisions in the Constitution.
A group of MPs including those representing the Tamil National Alliance had earlier proposed MP Dharmalingam Sithadthan for the relevant vacancy, while the MPs who were elected to the Parliament from the ruling SLPP and later became Opposition MPs had proposed MP Udaya Gammanpila for the same. However, neither of them had been appointed to the CC as the relevant groups of MPs had not come to an agreement on the matter.
The CC is Chaired by Speaker Abeywardana. Its other members are Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, and MP Sagara Kariyawasam representing the ruling Party (SLPP), SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and SJB MP Kabir Hashim representing the Opposition, and Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, Dr. Dilkushi Anula Wijesundere, and Dr. Dinesha Samararatne representing the civil society.