• Fmr. ASG calls for qualified AG’s Dept. officer with integrity to be appointed from within Dept. instead of ‘parachuting’    

With the Constitutional Council (CC) rejecting for the second time President Ranil Wickremesinghe's proposal to extend the term of office of the former Attorney General (AG), President's Counsel (PC) Sanjay Rajaratnam, who retired on Wednesday (26), for an additional six months, the CC is awaiting a fresh nomination for the position and has not yet considered appointing an Acting AG, The Daily Morning learnt.

The proposal to extend Rajaratnam’s term by another six months has been defeated again at the CC meeting on Wednesday. The proposal, which was submitted by President Wickremesinghe was defeated with five votes against it while three members voted in favour. The CC rejected the particular proposal for the second time amid criticism against the proposal from the political sphere, the legal sector, and the civil society. 

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (27), Speaker of the Parliament and the Chairperson of the CC Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana stated: “We are yet to receive a fresh nomination and discuss the appointment of an Acting AG.”

Meanwhile, the National People's Party called on President Wickremesinghe to appoint a qualified senior officer with integrity as the AG, rather than indirectly pressuring the CC further to extend Rajaratnam's tenure. Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday against this backdrop, the Party's Leader Srinath Perera PC, who previously served as an Additional Solicitor General (ASG), emphasised the necessity of appointing a new AG. 

Perera stated: “The ex-AG must not be given a service extension. Instead, a new AG must be appointed. There are many qualified senior officers available, and one of them should be selected. Extending Rajaratnam's tenure would be an injustice to the senior officers who have served diligently.” 

Perera further highlighted the importance of the AG's independence, noting that the AG must be independent and not merely a rubber stamp of the Executive branch. “If the CC had endorsed the President's proposal, it would have set a bad example. When I was working at the AG's Department, then-President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga asked me to become the AG. I was the fourth in the seniority list, so I rejected it, offering my seniors the opportunity. That is how a good officer must behave.” Perera also warned against appointing individuals from outside the AG's Department, citing concerns over public trust and the image of the position. 

“There are a few examples where a person outside of the AG's Department has been appointed to the position, but it undermines public trust and the integrity of the said office. Such practices should not be attempted,” he noted, highlighting the critical need for maintaining the integrity and independence of the AG's office, ensuring also that the appointment process is transparent and based on merit.

Several attempts made to contact Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake proved futile.