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President yet to ratify two RTI Commission nominees
View(s):President Maithripala Sirisena is yet to ratify appointments for the remaining two posts of commissioners on the Right to Information (RTI) Commission, nearly three weeks since the Constitutional Council (CC) sent its recommendations, the Sunday Times learns.
Three members of the five-member commission received their letters of appointment from the President on September 30 after they were recommended by the CC. Last month, the CC forwarded the names of two individuals to the President to fill the remaining two posts. While the quorum for any meeting of the Commission is three, there is a question as to whether the Commission needs all five members to function. The RTI Bill is due to take effect from February of next year.
Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathna Paranawithana said he was unaware as to whether there was a delay in ratifying the names that were sent to the President. He however, stated the two positions would definitely be filled long before the law comes into effect.
The three members of the commission who have already received their letters of appointment are former civil servant Mahinda Gammanpila (Chairman), attorney-at-law S. G. Punchihewa and attorney-at-law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena (nominee of the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka, the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association and the Sri Lanka Press Institute).
The appointments were made following recommendations by the CC after calling for nominations from organisations of publishers, editors and media persons, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and other civil society organisations.
According to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, No 12 of 2016, the nominated persons should have distinguished themselves in public life with proven knowledge, experience and eminence in the fields of law, governance, public administration, social services, journalism, science and technology or management.