Time for Constitutional Council to get cracking

At long last a selection has now been made to fill the remaining vacancy in the 10-member Constitutional Council. S.C. Mayadunne, the former Auditor General, a highly respected public servant, who helped to unravel the colossal loss to the country of billions through the VAT scandal and who has been highly commended by the people has now been nominated to fill the vacancy in the Constitutional Council.

It is said that the Organization of Professional Associations has played a significant role in bringing the warring parties together and finally agreeing on nominating him.

The OPA should be commended for its efforts. It is now hoped that no further time will be lost in making the Constitutional Council function as quickly as possible. In the absence of the fully appointed Constitutional Council for four years, the President has been able to go ahead in making appointments, for example to the Public Service Commission, the Police Commission etc. The Constitutional Council is the body set to make the appointments coming within its purview in the national interest. But it has not been able to do so in view of the vacancy in the Council, once again due to political bickering resulting in unworthy appointments being made.

It is being said that the JHU does not seem to be in favour of Mr. Mayadunne's appointment. The JHU must realize that grave issues are at stake. The JHU is there to safeguard the interests of the people and the country, and should realize that any withholding of the nomination of Mr. Mayadunne to fill the long-existed vacancy will be a disservice to the country. It will further hold up the appointments that should be done exclusively by the Constitutional Council and permit the President to act in his individual capacity in the future as well.

The country needs to be fully satisfied that the right body appoints the right people to the various posts that come within the purview of the specifically designated bodies, and nobody else. The Chambers of Commerce and the business community too demand from the Government that no time should be lost in appointing the long needed Constitutional Council.

The country has waited long enough to fill the vacancy in the Constitutional Council. and now that the nomination – a very worthy one – has been made it is for the government, Parliament and all concerned – to fulfil a vital lawful need of the country – the rightful functioning of the country's Constitutional Council – without any further delay.

The Constitutional Council has been brought in to safeguard and uphold the interests of the country and its people, and any attempt to hold up its functioning will be a betrayal of the rights of our country and its people.

By Maurice Lord, Colombo 13