Marikkar says if Govt. ‘allergic’ to commissions, abolish them all

Thursday, 25 May 2023 03:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says pointless to appoint sham commissions in guise of establishing good governance in a bid to trick the public
Slams Govt. for wasting public funds to remove those appointed by Govt. itself
Warns Govt. will reap what they sow before long

SJB MP S.M. Marikkar

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) national organiser S.M Marikkar yesterday urged the Government to abolish all independent commissions due to their obvious allergy towards them.

“It is pointless to appoint sham commissions in the guise of establishing good governance in a bid to trick the public. Now we are wasting public funds to remove those appointed by the Government itself,” the MP noted.

Taking part in the debate on the motion to oust the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Chairman Janaka Ratnayake in parliament yesterday Marikkar said the Government is now speaking as if they have attained sainthood. “It was they who appointed Janaka Ratnayake. Not the opposition,” he pointed out.

The MP said by voting against the Government’s motion the SJB is not appearing on behalf of Janaka Ratnayake, the individual. “Instead we are standing up for his position and the decisions taken by him on behalf of the people during his tenure,” Marrikar claimed.

The SJB stalwart recalled that in 2015 President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that the public administration of the country will be made independent through the independent commissions. “He brought them in this time as well. But is there any use of these commissions now?” Marikkar asked.

He noted that despite the existence of an Election Commission, it is unable to hold polls as it is now in the grips of the Executive and the Ministry of Finance. “The PUCSL exists but has no power to protect the lower rungs of society from exorbitant electricity tariffs. The Police Commission has no power to initiate any transfers,” he noted. The MP said the SJB is of the stance that the removal of commission members in this manner was not acceptable. “When the Government cannot make the commissions act according to their whims and fancies their attempts to dismantle them and remove its members in this manner cannot be accepted,” he said. He also warned the Government will reap what they sow before long.