News
TISL reminds President of impending vacancies in Right to Information Commission
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has called for the appointment of the new commissioners for the Right to Information (RTI) Commission in line with the procedures set out in the Right to Information Act No 12 of 2016.
A statement issued by the TISL said: The tenure of the Right to Information (RTI) Commission which is the central oversight and appellate body established under the Right to Information Act of Sri Lanka is set to expire in September this year. Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) calls for the appointment of the new commissioners in line with the procedures set out in the Right to Information Act No 12 of 2016.
The RTI Commission is established under section 11 of the RTI Act which defines the constitution of the Commission, which consists of a chairperson and four members who serve a term of five years. Prior to the passing of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, the appointments were made by the President upon the recommendations provided by the Constitutional Council.
However, the 20th Amendment changed the manner in which the RTI Commission is appointed. The Constitutional Council which is mentioned in the Act is no longer functional and has been replaced with the Parliamentary Council. Therefore, it is now up to the Parliamentary Council to obtain nominations from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, organisations of publishers, editors and media persons and other civil society organisations to fill positions in the RTI Commission. The Parliamentary Council is expected to make observations to the President on who should be appointed to the RTI Commission, while the President’s duty to seek such observations is mandatory.
TISL hopes that the President would take these observations into serious consideration when making appointments for the RTI Commission, in keeping with the democratic process stipulated in the RTI Act of Sri Lanka.
Commenting on this, TISL Executive Director Nadishani Perera stated that “Over the Past 5 years the RTI Commission of Sri Lanka was able to deliver commendable decisions that protected the people’s right to information. They were able to do this because the RTI Commission acted in its capacity as an independent body. TISL hopes that the President will make the new appointments to the Commission in line with the provisions of the RTI Act, ensuring the independent nature of the Commission,”
Earlier TISL took steps to invite Civil Society Organisations in the country to join hands in fulfilling their role laid out in the RTI Act. The nominations by a number of Civil Society organisations including TISL for a position in the RTI Commission were compiled and handed over to the Parliamentary Council yesterday.
The RTI Commission can be considered to be a bridge that connects the state with the general populace. During its tenure the current RTI Commission provided progressive rulings from matters ranging from simple RTI requests on local development activities to more controversial issues such as an order to release the asset declarations of the former Prime Minister. These rulings are a testament to the independence of the commission and further proof of why the proper procedure laid out in the RTI Act should be followed when making appointments to the Commission.
TISL Executive Director Nadishani Perera also noted that “the background of the RTI Commissioners and the role that they play have a direct impact on the general public. If the appointed Commissioners are impartial, with no direct ties to politics, they would be able to dole out impartial rulings on behalf of the people. Therefore, it is also the responsibility of the general public to pay close attention to the nature of individuals appointed to the RTI Commission.”
The following names were submitted to the Parliamentary Council by TISL and other civil society organisations for consideration when selecting candidates for the RTI Commission: Dr. A.K.C.H. Priyangani Jayasundara, (Nominated by Safe Foundation), J. H. Nilmini Sunethra Kumari (Nominated by Child Vision Sri Lanka), P. Sai Balasubramaniam (Nominated by Peoples’ Development Foundation), Rev. Dr. Noel Dias (Nominated by Centre for Social Justice and Equity), D.M. Samantha Dassanayake ( Nominated by Centre for Human Rights and Community Development), Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa (Nominated by Caritas SED), Sampath Pushpakumara (Nominated by Families of the Disappeared), Nadarajah Sivaranjith (Nominated by NGO Consortium, Ampara), and Ainkaran Kugadasan (Nominated by Transparency International Sri Lanka).
The Ceylon Electricity Board has appealed to all rooftop solar owners across the country to voluntarily switch off their solar systems during day time hours (until 3pm each day) from April 13th to 21st to prevent partial power outages or nationwide blackouts which may occur.
The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the people of Sri Lanka should no longer be burdened by conflict and the Government remains committed to ensuring peace and stability across the country, with the government and the public service must discharge their duties to meet the needs of the people.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing public gatherings held in Velanai, Nallur, and Vadamarachchi.
The Prime Minister said that:
“There are numerous issues regarding infrastructure development in the Northern Province ranging from roads, drinking water supply, agriculture, and unemployment, to education and health sectors.
Many of these development tasks fall under the responsibility of local governments and provincial councils that represents your areas. However, these responsibilities have not been properly discharged.
While it is said that the issues raised in the North and East were caused by the war, 16 years have passed since the end of the war. What real change has taken place? Have the lives of the people in these areas has improved?
Although the central government allocates funds to provincial governing bodies, there should be a transparent mechanism in place to ensure that these funds are properly utilized for the relevant projects.
On May 6th, you will hold the decisive right to elect the local government closest to you that will work to uplift your lives and develop your communities. Elect representatives who are committed to serving the people, and free of fraud and corruption.
The government is actively participating in lifting the country from its fallen state and to overcome the current economic challenges. We accept that there is a long way to go. The prices of goods are still high but the government is currently working towards a change, and the people will receive the benefits in the near future.
Measures have been taken to increase the basic salary of public servants from this year’s Budget. The public service must commit to discharging duties with dedication. This must be not only a people’s government, but also a public service that belongs to the people.
Even after the independence, this country has seen much bloodshed and conflict. The people have suffered greatly as a result. The government is determined to ensure that such a situation never arises again. Therefore, the government is committed to fostering peace within the country.”
The event was attended by Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar, along with several Members of Parliament and local representatives in the North.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
A meeting organized by the National Initiative for Research & Development Commercialization (NIRDC) was held on Thursday (10) at the Presidential Secretariat to streamline and commercialize research and development activities in the defence sector.
Participating institutions included the Centre for Defence Research and Development under the Ministry of Defence, the Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Air Force, the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and the Research and Development Division of the Sri Lanka Police.
The NIRDC Unit, established under the Presidential Secretariat, aims to accelerate national development by facilitating investment opportunities to commercially apply completed or nearing completion research projects from both public and private institutions.
Defence institutions play a critical role for the progress of technology and science in relation to national security and development. Acknowledging this importance, the meeting was chaired by Senior Advisor to the President on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasuriya.
During the meeting, it was discussed in detail regarding the completed and on-going research and development projects within the defence sector, as well as those planned for the future. Special attention was given to identifying opportunities for collaboration among research and development units, enhancing innovation capabilities, and exploring ways to share resources effectively.
The discussion focused on identifying opportunities for collaboration between research and development units relevant to these sectors, enhancing innovation capabilities and exploring ways to share resources effectively. It also examined possible steps to strengthen coordination between civil and defence research institutions. The discussion concluded productively, with several innovations identified that have the potential for future commercialization.
The event was attended by Senior Additional Secretary to the President (Finance and Economic Affairs) . Russel Aponsu, NIRDC Director General Dr. Muditha D. Senarath Yapa, Director (Investments) . Idunil Gunathilaka along with other officials.
[PMD]
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