News
IGP appointed in violation of Constitution: Opposition
By Saman Indrajith
Opposition parties yesterday said Deshabandu Tennakoon had been appointed IGP in violation of the Constitution.
SLPP dissident MP Prof. GL Peiris addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo said the Supreme Court had found Tennakoon guilty of torturing people and ordered to pay Rs 500,000 as compensation to the victim.
How can such a person be appointed to the IGP post?” he asked.
Prof Peiris said that the due process had not been followed in the appointment of Tennakoon as IGP. As per the Constitutional provisions, the IGP should be appointed by the President with the concurrence of the Constitutional Council. The approval of the CC is mandatory and there was no way to appoint an IGP without that. There had to be at least five votes in the CC for the appointment. There were four votes approving the appointment. Two members had opposed it. The CC members representing the civil organisations abstained. The fifth vote was given by the Speaker. What he did was wrong. Article 41 E states that the Speaker shall not have an original vote, but in the event of an equality of votes on any question for decision at any meeting of the Council, the Speaker shall have a casting vote. There was no such event of equality of votes with regard to approving the name of Tennakoon. As such the Speaker has violated the Constitution,” Prof Peiris argued.
Not only the Speaker but also the Secretary of the CC had violated the Constitution by informing the President that the CC had approved Tennakoon’s name, Prof Peiris said.
SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that both the incumbent President and the Speaker of Parliament had acted against the law in giving the IGP post to Deshabandu.
“Tennakoon was appointed IGP post after the Supreme Court had stated that he tortured citizens of this country,” he said.
Meanwhile, JVP/NPP stated that Tennakoon’s appointment was dubious and it would pave the way for a constitutional issue.
Former JVP Kalutara District MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, addressing the media at the party headquarters, in Pelawatte, yesterday, said: “The Supreme Court on Dec 14, 2023 giving the ruling in the case No SCSR/2011 recognised Tennakoon as a person responsible for human rights violations and international conventions against torture and violating the country’s Constitution. In addition, there are many cases of human rights and fundamental rights violations against him that are pending before the Supreme Court. Among them is a fundamental rights violation case against his failure to prevent the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
“There is a serious question as to how Tennakoon’s name got the Constitutional Council’s approval. The Speaker’s role in the vote to secure the approval is against the Constitution. Therefore, this appointment is illegal. As such, this appointment has raised many questions, not only locally but also internationally. The legality of this appointment would be challenged before the courts,” Dr. Jayatissa said.
Former MP Wasantha Samarasinghe also addressed the press.
The Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake stated that the government has taken a policy decision to continue, without interruption, “School Nutrition Programme’’ aimed at reducing anemia among schoolchildren, which is being implemented with the assistance of the World Food Programme.
He made these remarks on Wednesday (23), during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat with representatives from relevant Ministries and government institutions involved in the programme, along with officials from the World Food Programme, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Pathfinder Foundation.
The school meal programme, aligned with the government’s initiative to provide nutritious lunch to primary school students in districts identified as having high levels of malnutrition, specifically targets the reduction of iron deficiency among schoolchildren. The initiative is jointly coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Provincial Councils, the Food Promotion Board and the Partnership Secretariat for the World Food Programme Cooperation. The government has allocated Rs. 32 billion for this programme for the current year.
A pilot project is currently being implemented in four selected districts. Based on a formal health and nutrition study assessing the outcomes of this pilot project, there are plans to expand the programme island-wide. The study aims to determine the extent to which iron deficiency among schoolchildren can be reduced through this initiative.
As part of the programme, fortified rice enriched with iron and folic acid will be included in the school meals to specifically address anemia among students.
The World Food Programme, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gateway Foundation and the Pathfinder Foundation have pledged their continued support for this effort.
Present at the occasion were Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media Dr. Anil Jasinghe, and Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Malarmathy Gangatharan, along with other government officials and representatives from partner organizations.
[PMD]
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Heat index at ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 23 April 2025, valid for 24 April 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota districts
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
Retired SSP Shani Abeysekera, serving the Police Department again, has been appointed to the committee headed by Senior DIG Asanka Karawita, tasked with studying the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) report on the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.
The other members of the team are DIG, CID, Director, CID and Director Terrorism Investigation Division (TID)
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday said that Abeysekera had been one of the law enforcement officers whose conduct raised eyebrows over the years as regards the failure on the part of the CID to thwart the Easter Sunday attacks.
The National Police Commission approved the reappointment of SSP Abeysekera on contractual basis for one year, with effect from 10 Oct., 2024.
Abeysekera backed Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s presidential election campaign as a member of the retired police collective.
“School Nutrition Programme’’to continue, without interruption
Heat index at ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota districts
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