‘s constitutional council to function without civil representatives
June 11, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s constitutional council will be able to meet and function even without filing the vacant seats of the ten member constitutional council, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senarathne said.
The Parliament is yet to agree on the three civil society representatives that has been nominated by both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
“Since seven members can be considered as the majority of the council, it may function as the constitutional council even appointing much awaited independent commissions.
” Senarathne said.
The Speaker, Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are considered as official members of the council.
One Parliamentarian should be appointed by the President and the President has nominated Minister Champika Ranawaka as his Parliamentarian.
Apart from that, another five persons should be appointed by the President on the nomination of both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition; of whom two persons should be Parliamentarians.
Accordingly, Prime Minister has nominated Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa and Opposition leader has nominated Parliamentarian John Senavirathene.
Sarvodaya Founder Dr. A.T.Ariyaratne, former Under-Secretary General of the UN Professor Radhika Coomaraswamy and retired former Court of Appeal Judge Justice A.
W.A. Salam has been nominated as the other three non-politically affiliated civil society representatives of the Council.
However when contacted opposition Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardhana told LBO that they are opposing the appointment of ministers to the constitutional council.
Gunawardhana also spoke against the government’s decision to operate the council without completing its appointments.
“If they want to do it in that way, why they sent 19th amendment to the supreme court while making a big fuss in the Parliament. It seems that minister Senarathne is making different statements now.
” Gunawardhana told LBO.
Tax and more tax is not a good way to grow any economy. Fees should be at least based on ability to pay. They already increased the tax rate on large companies from 28% to 30%, which is going to be substantial, and also closed the loopholes on tax holidays. Beyond that, this is overkill.
What??…How??….I mean how the hell this could happen in a country boasting to bring 4 Billion USD FDI per year?. Even after you paid corporate/ business taxes and what ever left after that, then you have to pay license fee? License fee for what?
What I’ve heard from another news source, Government is giving luxury vehicle permits for 90’000 dollars, Now that is how you increase the economic growth? How much income are you going to generate from these luxury vehicles? Is that the best use of money for a Prime Minister fancy himself as a strategic thinker?
Here is how to stimulate economy in an one sentence: Cut the business/ corporate taxes and cut the unnecessary government spending for luxury and extravaganza then increase infrastructure spending by creating income generating productive assets. And you are welcome…….
PS: Stupidity knows no bounds and no cure to save stupid from self destruction…..
Why not just deal with it as an income tax based on profit. Any businessman knows the number of taxes and returns that need filling doesn’t warrant another type of tax, just an increment of an existing tax if so required
It will be treated by the people as disrespect to the civil society if the Govt. starts functioning
without the civil society representatives. Suggest appoint four religious leaders as CS reps
and their qualifications cannot, of course, questioned as they are taught tolerance in religious schools and they will see that no religious conflicts take place in the country as the four could nip it in the bud. Region is the base for most conflicts in Sri Lanka as everyone knows.
This V.A.Chalie Senaratne is repeating like a parrot what Jayampathy Wickramaratne PC had already stated. This idiot needs a mouth guard & thinks he knows all.
The CC should either have all civil society representatives or all parliamentarians as combination of both sets of people will not work as their thinking will be different from
each other. Instead of having civil society reps, the CC should have four representatives
of all four major religions practised in Sri Lanka as this is the need of the hour as the
base of all disturbances in Sri Lanka is due to religion, which can be nipped in the bud.