Government’s plan to transfer Police Commission powers to IGP backtracked: Opposition

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

The government’s plan to transfer powers from the National Police Commission to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is being backtracked following objections raised in Parliament, several opposition MPs claimed yesterday.

Opposition MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, D.V. Chanaka, and Sujeewa Senasinghe stated that the move was halted after 20 opposition members submitted an emergency motion calling for a parliamentary debate on the matter.

“The government intended to proceed with the transfer just yesterday, but it was stopped due to our intervention,” MP Jayasekara said. He linked the move to recent remarks made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Katukurunda, where the President criticised the Police Commission for being “lethargic” and warned that he too could act with similar lethargy in response. “The President essentially threatened the Police Commission,” Jayasekara alleged.

MP D.V. Chanaka accused certain Officers-in-Charge (OICs) of being pressured to act against opposition members. Meanwhile, MP Senasinghe warned that the proposed transfer of powers would lead to the complete politicisation of the police, alleging that the current IGP has already exerted undue influence over the commission.

Responding to the opposition’s concerns, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala defended the move, stating that such transfers of powers are constitutionally permissible and have precedent.

“Similar transfers of authority from independent commissions have occurred in the past. For instance, some powers of the Public Service Commission were transferred in 2011,” Minister Wijepala said. “This is not a matter of concern, as the Police Commission retains the final authority to decide which powers, if any, are transferred to the IGP.”