The Island
Close on the heels of the UNP-led Opposition reiterating its long standing call for the implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Thursday (Nov 26) explained why he did not believe in paving the way for the Constitutional Council which would be responsible for setting up of relevant independent commissions, including one in charge of elections.
The 17th Amendment to the Constitution envisages establishment of the Constitutional Council which will in turn appoint independent commissions to run the public service, judiciary, elections department, police and bribery department.
Responding to a query raised at a Temple Trees meeting with the media, the President said that the proposed Constitutional Council could never be independent therefore it would not serve the purpose. He pointed out the absurdity in the expectation that the 17 Amendment would be panacea for Sri Lanka’s ills by way of having independent commissions.
A smiling President asked how persons appointed by government and Opposition politicians could be considered independent and went on a name a judge proposed to the CC though he was involved in politics.
This had happened during the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s tenure.
He said that it was a joke to expect nominees of political parties to adopt a bipartisan approach due to their loyalty to various political parties. He asserted that the very basis of the 17th Amendment was wrong and that Constitutional Amendments should not be introduced in an ad-hoc way.
The President’s remarks were the first clear indication that the 17th Amendment would not be implemented without drastic overhaul as long as the UPFA remained in power.
He declared that he had faith in Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake who unlike any other public servant did not even cast his vote.
Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Ministers Dallas Alahapperuma and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa joined the President who pledged to conduct free and fair elections though an independent election commission was not a reality.
President Rajapaksa also said that even the procedures to appoint members to the CC except ex-officio ones left much to be desired.