The Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, Parliament makes laws for the country, yet the laws governing Parliament’s own administration and staff are archaic—the Parliamentary Staff Act dates to 14 March 1953 and is badly out of sync with subsequent constitutional reforms and modern public finance law. This undermines Parliament’s independence precisely when the Executive exerts pressure or withholds cooperation—such as when the President belongs to one party and the parliamentary majority to another, or when institutional independence is contested.

¶ 02 We therefore need to update or replace the 1953 Act to strengthen Parliament’s internal administration and autonomy—without condoning waste. In 1978, on 22 December, then Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel recognized that funding Parliament’s internal decisions is a government responsibility, but control of such internal administration should not rest with outside bodies; Parliament needs independent financial authority to function effectively.

¶ 03 On independent commissions: Every such commission is required to be accountable to Parliament, not merely by tabling an annual report but by substantive scrutiny. Under Standing Order 126, the Constitutional Affairs Committee is empowered to examine annual reports, and summon chairpersons, members, and officials. Except for the Judicial Service Commission’s current engagement, we have not pursued systematic oversight. We are now constituting the committee to ensure effective parliamentary accountability of commissions—while fully respecting their constitutional independence.

¶ 04 Regarding the recent clash between the Acting IGP and the National Police Commission: It is unacceptable for an Acting IGP to challenge commission powers at a press conference. If there are issues, they must be resolved with the President, the line ministers, and with the NPC through dialogue or via the Constitutional Council. The President himself has publicly raised concerns about the NPC; even so, the proper route is institutional—not public confrontations. If commissions are underperforming, Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee should exercise its oversight. All are answerable to the law and the Constitution.

¶ 05 Finally, we expected today to hear that this is the last Head of Expenditure for an Executive President, with a commitment to abolish the executive presidency and move to a parliamentary system under a new Constitution, as pledged in the policy document “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life” (p. 1948): “A new Constitution will be drafted, presented to the people, amended as necessary after public consultation, and adopted by referendum.” The government holds the mandate; it should honor this pledge.