Constitutional Council in place by Sept. 22

By Dasun Edirisinghe-September 7, 2015, 9:22 pm 

Minister of Justice and Buddhasasana, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday said that the appointment of members to the Constitutional Council would be completed by next week, but they would have to wait until Parliament met on September 22 to get its approval for the civil society members of the CC.

Addressing the media after assuming duties at the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Rajapaksa said that the government would effect some changes, through Parliament, to the permanent Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

A new Bribery Commission would be appointed after the Constitutional Council was formed, the Minister said.

Rajapaksa said three ex-officio members of the ten member Constitutional Council were already known––the Prime Minister, the Speaker and the Opposition leader. The Prime Minister, President and Opposition leader would name their representatives who are MPs and the other member from the minority parties represented in Parliament would also be named next week, Minister Rajapakshe said.

Rajapaksa said that once the Commission was set up, the new Commissioners to the CIABOC would be appointed and the present Commission would cease to function automatically with the new appointments.