28 March, 2024

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Ranawaka Must Not Sit In Constitutional Council To Select IGP: CC Member

With just two more days to go for the Constitutional Council to decide on the country’s 34th Inspector General of Police (IGP), a member of the Constitutional Council has declared that if Minister Champika Ranawaka has any ‘credibility and integrity’ he should not sit at the meeting on April 18th to select the next IGP.

Minister Champika Ranawaka

Minister Champika Ranawaka

Member of the Constitutional Council W.D.J. Seneviratne agreed that there was a clear conflict of interest if Ranawaka was present at Monday’s meeting, as Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara who is one of the contenders for the post of police chief was investigating the hit and run accident in Rajagiriya involving Ranawaka, which left one person critically injured.

“Whether to sit in or sit out of this crucial meeting is a decision that only Mr. Ranawaka can take himself. However, if he wants to prove his credibility and integrity, then he must think of the consequences of voting for one of the candidates at this meeting,” Seneviratne told the Colombo Telegraph.

The Constitutional Council will meet on Monday to take the final decision on the 34th IGP after N.K. Illangakoon retired from service on Monday. Currently three names have been proposed, including that of Jayasundara, Chandana Wickramaratne and acting IGP S. M. Wickremesinghe.

Seneviratne pointed out that the members of the Constitutional Council cannot ask Ranawaka to sit out of the meeting despite the clear conflict of interest. “But, if I was him, I will not participate in the meeting to select the IGP,” Seneviratne added.

Ranawaka was nominated to the Constitutional Council by President Maithripala Sirisena.( By Munza Mushtaq © Colombo Telegraph ) 

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Latest comments

  • 8
    0

    Sir,

    Isn’t our man in CC Champuka in a bit of a pickle?

    Cheers!

    • 5
      1

      Is he ChamPuka or ChamPaka?

      • 4
        0

        He is both.

      • 5
        0

        Methinks he is Champuka Ranapuka.

        • 2
          0

          Boy! I thought that he was Some Fucker.

    • 3
      0

      Patta Champika is indeed in a very big achcharuwa!

      But, you know what, Patta Champika has a thick skin and no shame. He wouldn’t know morals if it crept up his Arya-Sinhala and bit him on his bum.

      Patta Champika on the committee will be the last straw.

      • 0
        0

        In all he would attend to observe and may refrain if he has self respect which he does not have- more of a terrorist like Karuna.

    • 3
      0

      [Isn’t our man in CC Champuka in a bit of a pickle?]
      So he got the highest credentials and qualification be among the political vultures to lead the pack.

  • 7
    1

    Ben Hurling

    Where are you?

    Napping again aai?

    Who appointed this public racist to the Constitutional Council? Was it Trinco Sam (Sambandan) or opposition whip AKD?

    • 4
      0

      Native,

      Public racist? May well be. But, me think the chappy is more “cunning opportunist” with a long term master plan than stupid racist.

      Yes, our boy in CC Champuka wants to be President of the “Thrice blessed Island” one sunny day.

      The “Hit & Run” was very unfortunate. It was not in the master plan. That has put a irritating spoke in his wheel.

      Cheers!

      • 5
        0

        Ben Hurling

        “Public racist? May well be.”

        He is.

        “But, me think the chappy is more “cunning opportunist” with a long term master plan than stupid racist.”

        He is a stupid opportunist.

        I rather beg Gunadasa Amarasekara to seek office as president than this stupid, racist opportunist. Or in fact the saffron clad thug Gnanasara seems open and honest, about what he believes in.

        Does Champika has any principle position in any matter in his public life? Lack of principles – minister for many years. Will you survive that many years if you hold on to your principle positions.

        What has been the cost to the people, country, ….. ?

        The saffron clad thug should be persuaded to contest next presidential elections. Nothing worse could happen compare to the past 68 years.

        • 0
          0

          N.V,
          “The saffron clad thug should be persuaded to contest next presidential elections. Nothing worse could happen compare to the past 68 years. “
          He did contest the last elections, and got thumping 0.18 % of the votes.

    • 3
      1

      Champuka is President’s Nominee to the CC.

    • 4
      1

      This public racist was appointed to the Constitutional Council by none other than The President.

  • 4
    0

    The 19th Amendment to out constitution is virtually a re-enactment of the 17th Amendment with enhancements. The Constitutional Council (CC) was setup to dilute the absolute presidential powers with respect to making key appointments and make it more parliamentary-centric with the participation of Government (Parliamentary Majority) and the Opposition (Parliamentary Minority). Its recent conduct of affairs seem to erode the confidence of the average man.

    Where was the Constitutional Council during the time of the Soulbury Constitution? It was the tradition that the outgoing head of department would make a confidential report to the Public Service Commission or the Secretary to the Ministry recommending the officer most suited to suceed him (Those days there were hardly any lady head of department). The system apparently worked. A thing called the seniority worked. No controversies. Unless the most senior happened to suffer serious drawbacks his name was recommended. In any case, all these serious drawback cases are eliminated at the early stage of their careers and their probationary appointments would be terminated.

    Now it looks as if there is canvassing, like seeking an elected office. It is public knowledge that there are 3 contenders for the post of IGP. Now after the appointment is made, does not common sense tell us that the Police Department would be fragmented into three parts? Those not appointed would secretly conspire for the ouster of the appointed. The commonest technique is to expose the vice of the appointed. (These days almost anybody has skeletons in their cupboards. Mr Clean! Forget it!). Along with it comes Audit Queries. On the other hand if the appointed has the killer instinct, he would eliminate the others from the service.

    We already have a police force in which the public seem not to respect but accept its brute force. A division at the top of the Department is not in the interest of the country. A recent writer to the CT lamented that the CC has not published its guidelines in making selections for key positions. The recent conduct is not to appoint outsiders but to select from inside with a controversy. CC has a sacred duty to perform. It must not erode the confidence of the voter who believed in a thing called the Good Governance or Yahapalanya.

    It is also interesting to note that when Mr. Sarath Muttetiwegama was an MP and he was in a panel to inquire into the impeachment of the then Chief Justice, he chose not to attend the proceedings of the panel until a case involving him was concluded. Sadly, we may not have that kind of people now.

  • 5
    0

    An excellent chance for Ranawaka to redeem a vestige of propriety, but chances are remote that he will display any decency or integrity.

    Proof of the pudding ….! Let’s see how this goes.

    • 1
      0

      JJ

      DON’T get your hopes too high.

      • 0
        0

        Spring Koha – They’re not, actually. This guy has a really smelly past, what with his early display of chauvinism in the forming of the Sinhala Urumeeyas (with those other so-called ‘Nationalists, SLG and TK), his fawning subservience to the Rajapakses, his role in the racial unrest against Muslims, et al!

        My comment was more of a ‘wishful thinking’ number, but really, “proof of the pudding” will tell us more.

  • 6
    0

    if this is a conflict of interest, how did Dealdasa participate and actively promote a person for a department coming under his ministry? Champika was instrumental in selecting the more independent attorney general over dealsasa’s promotion of a rajapaksa loyalist. if champika doesn’t sit eventually Rajapaksa loyalist S.M. Wickremasinghe may become IGP. So this seems to be a ploy by Rajapska loyalist to get him out of the CC to drop all cases against themselves.

  • 3
    1

    Sirisena can ask him to out if he cares for at least a semblance of a jahapalanaya!

  • 1
    2

    Hats off to Mr Senewirathna.

    Will the other dudes who were hand picked by Batalanda Rani and Bod Sira do the same ?..

  • 2
    1

    “Ranawaka Must Not Sit In Constitutional Council To Select IGP”
    I totally agree when there is a case against him following the hit and run accident which the minister is an accused.

    Decency demands he voluntarily steps down. Lets wait and see how he proves himself to be.

  • 6
    1

    W.D.J. Seneviratne is another Rogue of the previous regime as well as in the present who has no credibility or integrity. As such, Seneviratne has no eligibility to question the “credibility and integrity” of another Rogue since both are in the same league.

    • 4
      0

      I was thinking who this Senevirathne guy is.

      Mahinda Rajapakse still wants his way. So, that is why this problem.

      Use rats to spoil it.

      So, Senevirathne is a Rat.

  • 0
    0

    Mr. Ranawaka has the stature to look at the background of the candidates objectively and come to an impartial conclusion. He has proved this in many of the decisions in the ministries he has handled successfully. Recently he seems to have come out of his communal politics and looks at problems in the country’s interests for peace,stability and fairness to all communities. He should sit in the council and prove his credibility.

  • 0
    0

    Champika Ranawaka should removed form Constitutional Council .
    That is only altanatative for Ranawake.
    Shame man like Ranwake still remain in CC .
    See how is that man undermined democratic institution in Parlimenat member of CC by Ranawake acts agianst values and norms of democrcay!

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