Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were locked in spat this week over the appointment of an opposition nominee to the Parliamentary Advisory Council.
Provision for such a council, to make observations to the President on appointments to several commissions, was included in the 18th Amendment. Passed on September 8, it has now become effective.
The spat came after Speaker Rajapaksa wrote to Mr. Wickremesinghe asking him to name another nominee and advising him to ensure that such a nominee consents to the nomination.
Mr. Wickremesinghe has shot back that it was not his responsibility to seek the consent of a nominee. He has said it is up to the Speaker. He has said that the 18th Amendment only requires him to nominate an opposition representative.
Mr. Wickremesinghe earlier nominated TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran to the Council. However, Mr. Sumanthiran rejected the nomination on the grounds that the TNA was not in favour of the 18th Amendment. |
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