Harini and Sajith agree on new appointments to Constitutional Council

Saturday, 24 January 2026 05:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}


Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya	Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa

The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader have reached a consensus on the appointment of three civil society representatives to the Constitutional Council, following discussions prompted by the expiry of the terms of the current civil society members of the Legislative Council.

Accordingly, Prof. Wasantha Seneviratne, Austin Fernando, and Ranjith Ariyaratne have been agreed upon as nominees to represent civil society in the Constitutional Council. The terms of office of the outgoing civil society members; Dr. Anula Wijesundara, Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, and Prof. Dinesha Samararatne expired on the 16 January, leading to consultations between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on new appointments.

Under constitutional provisions, civil society members representing the Legislative Assembly are appointed by the Speaker with the consent of both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader. In line with this requirement, the agreed nominations have now been forwarded for appointment.

Prof. Wasantha Seneviratne currently serves as Senior Professor of Public Law and International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. She is also the Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR), a leading research institute affiliated with the University, and is widely recognised for her academic and policy contributions in the fields of constitutional law and human rights.

Austin Fernando is a seasoned public administrator with extensive experience in senior leadership roles. His previous appointments include Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Secretary to the President, in addition to holding responsibilities in private sector and multinational organisations.

Ranjith Ariyaratne is a Special Grade Officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service and a distinguished public servant who has served as Secretary to several ministries, bringing decades of administrative experience to the Constituent Assembly.

The overall composition of the 10-member Constitutional Council comprises the Prime Minister, the Speaker, and the Leader of the Opposition as ex officio members, along with one Member of Parliament appointed by the President. Five members are nominated and appointed by the President, including one Member of Parliament nominated with the consent of the majority of Government Members of Parliament, one Member of Parliament nominated with the consent of the majority of Members of Parliament belonging to the Opposition Leader’s party or independent group, and three persons nominated jointly by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition with their mutual consent.

In addition, one Member of Parliament is appointed by the President upon nomination by Government Members of Parliament and with the agreement of Members of Parliament who do not belong to the political party or independent group of the Leader of the Opposition.