“11 independent commissions defunct amidst political drama”
Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole has lodged a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL) that an article published in the Business Times of December 16, 2018 states that the inter-alia, the Election Commission of which he is a Commissioner has been rendered defunct by virtue of their terms expiring on November 19, 2018.
The article stated that several independent Commissions appointed to oversee the public service, judiciary, finance, police, elections, human rights, etc were caught up in the political drama at the time.
Prof. Hoole states that the Commissioners of the Elections Commission were appointed for a period of five years, and not three as stated in the article and that his term ends on November 13, 2019. He says as a result of the erroneous reference in the newspaper stating that the Commission is defunct it is difficult for him to function as a Member of the Election Commission.
Business Editor’s Note;
The Business Times regrets the error. None of the other members of the Elections Commission or the other independent Commissions have however complained that they find it difficult to function as a result of the said article.