• Claims that appointment of IGP is illegal

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People's Power (NPP) of the Parliamentary Opposition stated that the appointments to various high positions that the current Government has made in an allegedly illegal manner would be revoked under a future Government led by them.

Several parties including the main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and other Opposition groups and civil society organisations have raised concerns over the appointment of Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon as the 36th IGP of the country.

Commenting on the matter to The Daily Morning, NPP Parliamentarian, Vijitha Herath said: “This appointment is (Tennakoon's appointment as the IGP) illegal and the necessary legal actions have already been taken against it. They are going ahead.” 

Under a future NPP Government, he said that all appointments that have allegedly been made in violation of the due procedure would be revoked. “We cannot revoke the 'illegal' appointments by force. So, we will rectify them through proper legal procedures,” he said.

Tennakoon's appointment has attracted criticism over certain lawsuits including fundamental rights petitions involving his past conduct, and the allegation levelled by SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa that the relevant appointment had not received the Constitutional Council's approval. The appointment has also been challenged before the Supreme Court.