The Constitutional Council has granted a six-month extension to Acting Auditor General G.H.D. Dharmapala, following the rejection of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s nomination for the permanent post on two separate occasions.
The position of Auditor General has remained vacant for 43 days since the retirement of the previous officeholder. In an effort to fill the role, President Dissanayake proposed the appointment of H.T.P. Chandana, a member of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Corporation. However, this nomination was not approved by the Constitutional Council.
During the Council meeting held the day before yesterday, consensus could not be reached on Chandana’s appointment. The Council reconvened yesterday to further deliberate on the matter. In the vote that followed, three members supported the President’s nominee, while five opposed. One member abstained from voting. As a result, the President’s nominee was once again rejected.
In light of this, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake proposed extending the tenure of Acting Auditor General G.H.D. Dharmapala by six months. This proposal received the approval of the Constitutional Council.
Accordingly, G.H.D. Dharmapala will continue to serve as Acting Auditor General for an additional six-month period.
