Govt. considers halving CJ’s term

Nimal says too late to reverse impeachment process

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In the wake of the government vowing to bring the impeachment process, targeting Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, to a successful conclusion in January, the ruling coalition was seriously considering the possibility of having the current 10-year term for the post of Chief Justice halved, political sources told The Island.

Sources said that the issue was being discussed, with some suggesting an amendment to the Constitution, whereas some believe instead of piecemeal measures a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) should formulate a comprehensive set of constitutional proposals.

Responding to a query by The Island, Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday said that the launch of impeachment proceedings had caused much debate with some sections of society calling for a new law to govern such procedure.



Minister de Silva said that the PSC, set up in Nov. 2011, to formulate a political solution to the national issue, would be an excellent forum to discuss the entire range of issues.

The proposed PSC will comprise 19 ruling party members and 12 opposition members. Minister de Silva regretted that the PSC could not function due to the TNA’s refusal to participate in the process.

The minister stressed that political parties could discuss any issue including the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, at the Mahaweli Center, Minister de Silva, one of the seven UPFA members of the PSC, which investigated into allegations against Dr. Bandaranayake, said that whatever the criticism of the impeachment process was it was now too late to reverse the action. Dr. Bandaranayake would have to be impeached under the existing procedure, though changes could be considered later. The minister pointed out that none of those now protesting against the impeachment process had asked for a new mechanism. The minister said that a new process would be better, though amendments could not be made overnight.

Commenting on the ongoing dispute with the TNA, Minister de Silva urged the dominant Tamil political party to join the PSC process without playing politics with the national issue. The minister said that the TNA should take part in the local process without making representations to Western powers. The minister reassured the TNA that the proposed PSC would conclude its sittings within six months, while reiterating its call for one-time LTTE mouthpiece to join the PSC process.