With the adoption of the 22nd Constitutional Amendment on Friday, Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapaksa announced to the Sunday Times newspaper the reorganisation of all independent commissions except the Judicial Service Commission.
As a consequence, the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, the National Police Commission, the Audit Service Commission, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Finance Commission, the Delimitation Commission, and the National Procurement Commission are all being reorganised.
Laws will also be enacted to ensure that, with the exception of the Election Commission, everything else is accountable to and answerable to Parliament.
Following the formation of the Constituent Assembly, new members are appointed to the independent commissions.
He stated that the current members will serve until the Legislative Assembly approves the new nominations.
If the Constituent Assembly is created in two weeks, the new members of the independent commissions might be appointed within a month.
The Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, one member appointed by the President, and two members of Parliament nominated by both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition make up the Constituent Assembly, according to the 22nd constitutional amendment.
It also includes a professional nominated by the Sri Lanka Professionals Association and a person nominated by the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce; a professor in a public university nominated by the University Grants Commission; and one member nominated by the consent of a majority of members belonging to political parties or independent groups other than those to which the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition belong.
Mr. Rajapaksa remarked that the government is dissatisfied with the majority of present independent commission members’ behaviour and hopes that “appropriate personnel” would be chosen for them shortly. He also stated that some previous complaints of the implementation of independent commissions were legitimate.
“Commissioners should be self-sufficient and efficient,” he stated. “Any commissioner who fails to perform his or her duties may be removed for reasonable cause by Parliament.” According to the ministry.