21 October 2021 03:58 pm
Claiming that a new Constitution was being drafted by personal lawyers of the President, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said today the opinion of the Parliamentarians should be obtained through a Parliament Select Committee (PSC).
He told Parliament that it was important to reintroduce independent commission through the new constitution.
“The new Constitution is being drafted by personal lawyers of the President. Lawyers who appeared for his cases. We request the Government to appoint a PSC and obtain the opinion of the opposition MPs as well. We know that even the opinions of the Government MPs are not obtained in this process,” he said.
Mr. Kiriella said if the Government was to face the international community, it was important to ensure judicial independence and re-establish independent commissions in the new constitution.
He said European Union officials who met the opposition recently raised concerns that supremacy of law is gradually deteriorating in the country.
“Legislature, judiciary, police and state service cannot take independent decisions today. Decisions are made by the executive. It is a serious issue if the police and judiciary can't take independent decisions. Most convicts are acquitted from cases. These cases have been filed by the incumbent Chief Justice as the then Attorney General,” he said.(Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)