JVP allege Leader of the House and 3 other posts in WPC illegal

By Skandha Gunasekara

Several JVP Western Provincial Councillors yesterday charged that four posts in the Western Provincial Council, including the post of Leader of the House, and the allowances being received by these councillors, were illegal. 

The JVP Councillors handed over a petition to the Auditor General yesterday, requesting that the latter investigate illegality of these posts, and the allowances and benefits being awarded as a result. 

The petition states that Subsection 7(1) of Section 48 of the Provincial Council Act stipulates that a Provincial Council could only have the posts of Chairman and Deputy Chairman. As a result, the posts of Leader of the House, Government Whip, Opposition Leader, and Opposition Whip are illegitimate positions.  JVP Western Provincial Councillor Sunil Watagala, who signed the petition, told the Daily FT that they had requested Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe to investigate the matter. 

“These four illegal posts are directly against the constitution. In addition, the Western Provincial Council gives exorbitant allowances and benefits to the Councillors holding these four posts,” he said, adding that only the position of Chairman and Deputy Chairman were allowed to receive allowances, according to the Act. 

Watagala said that at present, the four councillors who hold these posts have been given private rooms within the Western Provincial Council building, as well as private vehicles and personal staff members. “All these allowances and benefits are illegal and are paid for from coffers of the general public.”

JVP Western Provincial Councillors Mahinda Jayasinghe, Lakshman Nipunaarachchi, Nandana Kumara and Sarath Pathirana also signed the petition.