SRI LANKA: President stresses the urgent need to appoint Constitutional Council 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse has written to the Speaker of parliament, Mr. W.J.M. Lokubandara urging him to make the appointments to the Constitutional Council without delay. Amidst mounting pressure to appoint the much delayed Constitutional Council, the President insisted that the Speaker take immediate and meaningful steps to ensure that the Government’s work be conducted without disruption.

While we welcome this news, we also maintain that the failure to appoint Constitutional Council members has already significantly disrupted the Government’s work and has strongly jeopardised the effectiveness of the commissions that fall under the Council, such as the National Police Commission, Public Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission, the Election Commission and the Human Rights Commission, all of whom have been without independent leadership in recent times.

For this reason, we ask that the Speaker ensure that action is taken immediately to appoint the much delayed Constitutional Council.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the Speak of parliament, Mr. W.J.M. Lokubandara urging him to make the appointments to the Constitutional Council without delay.

Suggested letter:

Mr. W.J.M. Lokubandara
Speaker of Parliament
Parliament of Sri Lanka
Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte
Sri Lanka
Tel: +94 11 2777 100
Fax: +94 11 2777 548
Email: webmaster@parliament.lk

Dear Mr. Lokubandara

SRI LANKA: Urgent need to appoint Constitutional Council

I am aware that President Mahinda Rajapakse has written to you urging you to make the appointments to the Constitutional Council without delay in order that the Government’s work not be disrupted. While I welcome this news, I would highlight that the Government’s work has already been seriously disrupted owing to the failure to appoint Constitutional Council members. This has not only disrupted the work of the government, but it has strongly jeopardised the effectiveness of the commissions that full under the Council, many of whom have been denied independent leadership in recent times.

For this reason I write to you now asking that you ensure that action be taken immediately to appoint the much delayed Constitutional Council. Once this has been achieved the commissions can return their focus to the important tasks that they are assigned to do.

Yours sincerely,
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Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)