Reactivation of Police Commission hailed
The reactivation of the National Police Commission under the 18th
Amendment to the Constitution has been hailed by political parties and
independent organisations as a step in the right direction as it has
been appointed at a time when the relations between the police and the
public were getting strained.
The Parliamentary Council which met on Wednesday has approved the
names proposed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the seven-member
National Police Commission. The reactivation of the National Police
Commission was one of the recommendations by the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
President's Counsel and former High Commissioner to Australia, Senaka
Walgampaya has been appointed Chairman of the Commission. The other
nominees approved by the Parliamentary Council are Ven. Elle Gunawansa
Thera, D. Dissanayake, Mrs. Charmaine Madurasinghe, R. Sivaraman, M.M.M.
Mowjood and the former Chairman of ITN Newton Gooneratne.
Senior Minister for Human Resources D.E.W. Gunasekara commenting on
the reactivation of the Police Commission said that it was the correct
step taken in the right direction. "The reactivation of the Police
Commission is important at this point as relations between the police
and the people are severely strained.
The Police Commission has a big responsibility to create an
environment for the police to act independently and make the Police
Department an active independent body", the Minister said. "The Police
Commission should also realise that though they are appointed by the
Government they are responsible to the people of this country and not
the Government. This is the basic fact they need to keep in mind when
carrying out their duties as members of the Independent Commission", he
said.
The National Police Commission was set up in 2002 under the 17th
Amendment to the Constitution. It became defunct due to the failure to
appoint new Commission members after the terms of the Commission and its
Chairman lapsed in April 2009. Transfers, discipline, and issues related
to examinations, in the police force come under the purview of the
National Police Commission. The Commission has complete power to act
independently.
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