100% Srilankan Feed - Consolidated Fund allocation constitutional

A senior US lawmaker on Monday urged Sri Lanka to take concrete action on human rights after a UN panel found credible allegations of war crimes in the bloody 2009 finale to the civil war.

Representative Howard Berman, the top member of President Barack Obamas Democratic Party on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Sri Lanka must ensure that those involved in violations of human rights are held to account in a transparent and expeditious manner.

I am deeply concerned that the government of Sri Lanka has thus far chosen to protest the reports conclusions rather than accept the recommendations of the UN panel, Berman said in a statement.

Berman said he also favored action against any surviving members of the Tamil Tiger rebels accused of rights violations.

Unless the government takes real action to investigate and punish those guilty of war crimes, I fear there can be no sustainable reconciliation process to move the country forward, the California lawmaker said.

A UN panel of experts recommended an international investigation over the armys 2009 final offensive against the Tamil Tiger rebels, saying there was credible evidence of war crimes on both sides.

The panel said hospitals, UN centers and Red Cross ships were deliberately shelled by government forces, prisoners shot in the head and women raped, while the Tigers used 330,000 civilians as human shields, AFP reports.

Latest News

Popular

Home

Consolidated Fund allocation constitutional

Consolidated Fund allocation constitutional

PDF

Print

E-mail

Written by Admin

Thursday, 06 May 2010

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said yesterday the President allocating funds from the Consolidated Fund to cover state expenses without presenting a budget or vote on account was constitutional and in accordance with law. The President had allocated Rs. 440,147 million from the Consolidated Fund to maintain the public service and pay off the loans using powers vested on him by Section 150 (3) of the Constitution.

Therefore, the constitution has not been violated, he said.

Speaker Rajapaksa also said defining the terms and sections of the Constitution was a task of the Supreme Court.

He made this announcement yesterday in response to a queries raised by Colombo District UNP MP Wijayadasa Rajapaksa who said releasing of funds from the Consolidated Fund by the President without Parliament approval was against the Constitution.

MP Rajapaksa Tuesday said the supreme fiscal responsibility is a matter which comes under the purview of Parliament and not the President.

< Prev

Main Menu

Business Directory

Sri Lankan Maps

1 (5).jpg