The Constitutional Council has rejected a recommendation by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to extend the tenure of the Acting Auditor General for another three months.
The President’s proposal was accompanied by a note stating that the Acting Auditor General had accepted six tickets from a state bank to attend the Dalada Perahera in Kandy. As the state bank falls under the audit scope of the National Audit Office, this disclosure prompted opposition and civil society members of the Council to vote against the extension.
Following the rejection, the post of Auditor General has now fallen vacant, requiring the President to submit a new nominee to the Constitutional Council.
Acting Auditor General Gammanpila H.D. Dharmapala still has three and a half years remaining before retirement. His acting tenure, which was previously extended by six months after an earlier attempt to appoint an external candidate was rejected by the Council, ended this week.
The Constitutional Council considered the latest recommendation on Friday under the chairmanship of Dr. Jagath Wickremaratna, Speaker of Parliament. The proposal was defeated with five votes against and four in favour.
Those who opposed the extension included Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Opposition nominee SJB MP Ajith Perera, and three civil society representatives—Dr. Anula Wijesundere, Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, and Ms. Dinesha Samararatne.
The civil society members of the Council are due to complete their terms in January 2026, after which new members will need to be appointed.
