News
‘Ministers cannot be expected to consult Prez on every issue’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Rebel SLPP MP Prof. G.L. Peiris has thrown his weight behind Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, who has said that in his capacity as the Minister in charge of the Sports portfolio he could appoint an Interim Committee to run Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Prof. Peiris said there couldn’t be an issue regarding the Minister’s right to do so.
The former External Affairs Minister said: “The crucial issue is that our Constitution is based on the allocation of distinct sets of functions and responsibilities to the President, the Cabinet and individual Ministers. So long as a Minister is acting in good faith within his sphere of responsibility, it is unnecessary and impractical to require consultation with, much less approval by, the President or the Cabinet in respect of each decision or action. If it were otherwise, the entire constitutional system would be rendered unworkable.”
Prof. Peiris stressed that the ‘underpinnings of the Constitution consist of a democratic and participatory value system rather than a concentration of all discretionary power in one functionary or institution. This basic principle is violated by insisting on Presidential or Cabinet endorsement of every initiative by a Minister acting intra vires.’
Prof. Peiris said so when The Island asked him whether his group would back Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in the ongoing battle over the SLC.
Prof. Peiris said that those who were genuinely interested in restoring public confidence in cricket could easily reach consensus on a common stand.
Responding to another query,
Prof. Peiris said: “I have already assured Minister Ranasinghe of steadfast support and solidarity. I hold him in high esteem as a principled politician who does not succumb to pressure and cannot be manipulated”.
SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam yesterday told The Island that the party would support genuine efforts to clean up cricket though the party felt uncomfortable with some of the appointments made by the Sports Minister. Attorney-at-Law Kariyawasam stressed that there was no question about addressing the issues at hand without delay.
Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 22.07.2024 to publish the draft bill of State Assets Management Act in the government gazette notification and thereby present it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
However, the draft bill couldn’t be passed in Parliament as a result of the Parliament being dissolved in the month of October 2024.
Thereafter, the draft bill was subject to further inspection by a
committee appointed which comprised of officials and authorities on the subject.
The said Committee has recognized the amendments to be made and a fundamental draft has been prepared including the proposed amendments.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to suspend further activities regarding the draft bill of State Assets Management Act published in the extraordinary gazette of 02.08.2024, and to direct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill based on the fundamental draft prepared by the subject specialists’ committee.
Considering the compliance of the Cooperative Societies’ operations with the concurrent socio – economic circumstances as well as the changes in the common law, the requirement of amending the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 has been recognized.
A fundamental draft including proposed amendments based on the experience gained by that Commission as well as the opinions and proposals of Cooperative societies, their director board members, cooperative employees and other interested parties has been prepared.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative development to provide instructions to the Legal draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 0f 1972, based on the said fundamental draft.
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