The Island
The government’s failure to appoint boards to manage some State institutions and therefore the parliamentary watchdog committee on public enterprises is finding it difficult to initiate investigations.
Well informed sources told The Island that many appointments had not been made for over two months since the last parliamentary elections on April 8. Sources said that the COPE had had to put off some meetings scheduled for this week due to delay by the government to finalise appointments.
Sources said that the Presidential Secretariat had directed all Secretaries to Ministries to keep it informed of their nominees to various institutions. Appointments are subject to clearance by the Presidential Secretariat.
Sources said that the Opposition had failed to take on the government the way it should on irregularities in Parliament and press the UPFA to take meaningful measures to fight waste, corruption and irregularities. They pointed out the absurdity of pressing for additional oversight committees, while ignoring the existing COPE and PAC (Public Accounts Committee) which could play a pivotal role in an anti-corruption drive. The Opposition seemed to be obsessed with the implementation of 17th Amendment to the Constitution, which some key UNP and JVP MPs believed was a panacea, they said. UNP sources said that the need was to press the government to allow COPE and PAC to operate freely thereby giving members an opportunity to tackle financial irregularities.