Term of Sri Lankan police chief Chandana Wickremaratna ends: Official

Colombo, Nov 25 (PTI) The term of Chandana Wickremaratna as the chief of Sri Lankan police has ended, a senior official said on Saturday.

The development came as the continuous extension of services of Wickremaratna, who was appointed as the chief of Sri Lankan police in 2020, was opposed by the opposition parties.

'The IGP’s term has ended but no replacement has been named yet,' the police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe was accused of ignoring the discretion of the constitutional council which had objected to repeated extensions given to Wickramaratne.

Some opposition parties accused Wickremesinghe’s action as tantamount to a willful violation of the Constitution.

Wickremesinghe argued in Parliament last week that the constitutional council was part of the executive and they must cooperate with the wishes of the president who is the sole authority to make appointments.

However, the opposition and civil society groups counter-argued that the constitutional council's role was one of standing to provide checks on the presidency not as a rubber stamp.

Wickramaratne should have been retired in late March. Wickremesinghe gave him four extensions of service limited to three months on each occasion.

His fourth extension expired on Friday, November 24.

Wickremesinghe, who is being backed by the SLPP of the Rajapaksa brothers, had opposed Wickramaratne’s continuation. He was accused by them for inaction to curb the public protests of 2022 which led to the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the president. PTI CORR RUP RUP