by Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

AKD’s request to Harsha:

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has frustrated an attempt by Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP, to intervene to settle the continuing dispute over the appointment of a new Auditor General.

Dr. De Silva yesterday told The Island he had recently written to all members of the Constitutional Council (CC) drawing their attention to the urgent need to address the issue at hand. The AG’s position remains vacant since 08 Dec, 2025. AG W.P.C. Wickremanayake retired in April and since then there have been a couple of Acting appointments. The CC has declined to endorse any of President Dissanayake’s nominees as the AG.

Asked whether he had taken up the issue with the CC following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake soliciting his support in this regard, MP de Silva said that he had written to CC members as agreed with the President.

The former UNPer and one-time State Minister said: I did so, giving due respect to CC’s independence, underscoring the critical importance in them working with the President to resolve the crisis. I alluded to the need to have transparency in public financial management during this post-cyclone period where large amounts of funds are being transacted on multiple fronts, both domestic and foreign.”

Responding to another query, Dr. De Silva emphasised that he had clarified that the President must send the names of qualified and experienced persons to the CC for consideration. However, these letters were returned to me by the Speaker, without being delivered to members of the CC. The Speaker didn’t give an explanation. Thus, except for members who are MPs who had been copied via email by my committee office, others never received my letter of concern. Even though I questioned, in Parliament, the basis of his refusal to forward my communication to the members of the CC of which he is Chairman, no answer was given.”

The CC consists of Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Speaker and Chairman of the 10-member body. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister, Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, Bimal Rathnayake, Aboobucker Athambawa, Ajith P. Perera, Sivagnanam Shritharan, and three civil society members namely Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, Dr. Dilkushi Anula Wijesundere and Dr. Dinesha Samararatne. None of the President’s nominees could obtain CC’s approval as all of them were rejected by the CC.

The present CC was introduced by the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which was endorsed on 31 October 2022.

Both the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Transparency International Sri Lanka Chapter recently requested President Dissanayake, in writing, to propose a suitable person to the post of AG. The BASL, in another statement that dealt with the forthcoming vacancies in the CC due to three civil society members completing their terms, declared its concern over possible attempts by the President and the NPP government to fill the vacancies with rubber stamps.

The three civil society members will complete their terms on 18 January. In terms of Article 41E of the Constitution, the CC meets at least twice every month, and may meet as often as may be necessary. The Chairman presides at all meetings of the CC and in the absence of the Chairman, the Prime Minister, and in the absence of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition presides at the meetings of the CC.

Asked whether the CC could be disrupted due to the end of civil society members’ terms, an authoritative official pointed out that in case new appointments were not made the current members could continue.

The Parliament has not so far called for applications to fill the forthcoming vacancies.

by Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️