Committee appointed by President a normal procedure - Minister

The committee comprising seniors in the field appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to look into the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the impeachment is purely for his information, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

He said the appointment of such committees is a normal procedure followed by the President's Office on controversial matters.

The minister stressed the President's committee does not cause a clash between the Executive and the Legislature.

"Nowhere in the Constitution or Standing Orders it has mentioned the Parliament is bound to entirely accept or practice interpretations of the Supreme Court," Minister Rambukwella said. Responding to a question raised by a journalist at the Cabinet press briefing at the Ministry auditorium yesterday, the minister said, there had been occasions in the past in which the interpretations of the Supreme Court had been accepted as well as declined. The minister, referring to the rulings given by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike, reiterated that Parliament is supreme, considering the fact that the sovereignty of the people have been vested upon the democratically elected Members of the Parliament.

He stressed everything concerning the impeachment against Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranaike has been in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. He said the Speaker would listen to both the government and opposition and would decide on the debate with regard to the impeachment.

Minister Rambukwella also said a fair time would be allocated to debate on this matter as requested by the opposition.