Speaker calls for nominees

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has written to the respective parties to nominate their members to the Constitutional Council (CC) to be set up in conformity with the composition of the new parliament, officials said yesterday.

The 10-member CC, which was re-instated under the 19th Amendment is authorized to make appointments to the independent commissions. The Speaker, the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister are its ex-offcio members. The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are authorized to nominate five of its members two of whom should be Members of Parliament and the other three from civil society while the President nominates one member and the rest by the small parties in Parliament.

Parliament Secretary General Dammika Dissanayake told Daily Mirror the Speaker had written to the relevant authorities to name their nominiees to the CC.

Among those nominated to the previous CC were Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe nominated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister John Seneviratne as the nominee by the then Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva while Minister Patali Chamipka Ranawaka was the President’s nominee and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R. Sampanthan represented the small parties.

Mr. Dissanayake said these members could continue to serve in the CC until the constitution of the new CC.

Meanwhile, the equation has changed somewhat with the appointment of Mr. Jayasuriya as the new Speaker and Mr. Sampanthan as the new Opposition Leader. (Kelum Bandara)