NMSJ says inactivity of RTI Commission undermines anti-corruption efforts

Thursday, 24 April 2025 00:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Anura Kumara Disanayake

NMSJ Leader Karu Jayasuriya

The National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has urged President Anura Kumara Disanayake to immediately address the current state of the Right to Information (RTI) Commission, as the prevailing situation has created conditions that undermine its full and effective functioning.

“We stress the urgent need for authorities to address the state of the Commission, which remains without a Chairperson following the resignation of its former Chairperson in March 2025. Despite the Sri Lanka Press Institute and affiliated media associations nominating a candidate for the vacant post of Commissioner as early as 1 January 2025 – a nomination approved by the Constitutional Council – no appointment has been made to date. The Commission is currently operating in an incomplete and limited capacity,” said a statement issued by NMSJ Leader Karu Jayasuriya.

“Furthermore, there is a severe shortage of legal and administrative staff, which threatens the Commission’s continued functioning. With growing public reliance on the RTI Act, No. 12 of 2016 for accountability, decisions made by an incomplete Commission could face legal challenges, weakening public trust and jeopardising its role in governance,” it added.

The RTI Act, secured in 2015 after 12 years of tireless advocacy by the Opposition and civil society – and first proposed as a Private Member’s Bill – has been internationally recognised as one of the top three such laws in the world. It brought honour to Sri Lanka.

“Its partial operation today, in the face of growing public demand for transparency and good governance, is deeply concerning,” the NMSJ said.

It also stressed that in light of the Government’s recent statement that details of the Indo-Lanka Security Agreement can be accessed via the Right to Information, the need to restore the Commission to full operational strength becomes even more pressing. The Government cannot ignore this responsibility.

At a time when the President has taken a stand against bribery and corruption, restoring and strengthening the RTI Commission will significantly aid those efforts. Failure to do so risks echoing the 2004-2005 period, when the then Government sought to weaken democratic governance by delaying appointments to independent commissions.

“We sincerely hope the current Government will not follow that path. We therefore call on the President to take immediate steps to ensure the full functionality of the RTI Commission and uphold the hard-earned right to information. As a movement that has long championed this cause, we trust the President recognises the gravity of the issue and will act without delay,” said the NMSJ statement.

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