News
CC rejects President’s bid to extend Acting Auditor General’s term
View(s):President torpedoes his own recommendation; post falls vacant
By Ranjith Padmasiri
A recommendation by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to extend the services of Acting Auditor General for another three months has been rejected by the Constitutional Council.
The presidential recommendation, however, came with an accompanying note that claimed that the Acting Auditor General had accepted six tickets from a state bank to witness the Dalada Perahera in Kandy.
This had led to opposition and civil society members voting against the recommendation on the basis that the state bank is audited by the National Audit Office.
Due to the rejection of the presidential proposal, therefore, the post of Auditor General has fallen vacant, and the President has to send a fresh name to the Constitutional Council.
The Acting Auditor General Gammanpila H.D. Dharmapala has three and a half years for retirement.
The civil society members of the Constitutional Council end their terms in January 2026, and new members must be appointed.
The recommendation was considered by the Constitutional Council on Friday, with Council Chairman and Parliament’s Speaker Dr Jagath Wickremaratna presiding.
The recommendation was rejected with five members opposing the proposal and four in favour.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Opposition nominee SJB MP Ajith Perera and three members representing civil society, Dr Anula Wijesundere, Dr Prathap Ramanujam and Ms Dinesha Samararatne, voted against the recommendation.
The Acting Auditor General is the most senior officer in the Audit Office, but he was earlier bypassed as an attempt was made by the government to nominate a person from outside the closed service. However, the CC rejected that name.
Accordingly, Mr Dharmapala’s service was extended by six months in an acting capacity. His acting appointment ended this week.
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