In the wake of growing fear over the escalating crime rate in the country, civil organizations and the opposition have expressed growing concerns over the President's failure to nominate a suitable replacement for the role of Inspector General of Police (IGP) even after several months.
Instead of appointing a new IGP, the President has chosen to grant multiple extensions to the current IGP, who has expressed a desire to retire.
The present IGP, C.D. Wickramaratne, who received a three-month service extension from President Ranil Wickramasinghe, is set to conclude his tenure on October 9 after multiple extensions.
Sources said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe once again will grant another service extension to Wickramaratne since there have been no nominations forwarded to the Constitutional Council (CC) for this crucial post.
In a situation where the country is grappling with an increase in shootings and other crimes, the appointment of a new IGP has become even more crucial.
Sources said that when senior officers who aspire to become the IGP fail to work in line with the present IGP who is expecting to retire, it can lead to various issues within the police department.
Wickramaratne had previously submitted retirement papers earlier in 2023, with his service extension expiring on 26th June. During the period following its expiration, the Police Department operated without a designated IGP for several days before he was granted another service extension on 9th July.
It was reported that the power struggle for the IGP post has created divisions within the police force, with some officers aligning themselves with different factions vying for the position. This can affect teamwork, communication, and overall morale among the officers and disrupt the smooth functioning of the police force at a time where nearly 80 shootings incidents have been reported in the country within the first 9 months with 40 deaths.
Sources said that the Constitutional Council involvement should only be necessary when appointing a new IGP. However, the CC is yet to receive any nominations for the IGP position.
Extending the service of the current IGP, especially after previous CC approvals, should not require additional references to the CC.
The repeated extensions have drawn criticism from opposition parliamentary groups, who argue that this practice could have adverse effects on maintaining law and order in the country.
The opposition has alleged that the reason for Wickramaratne receiving multiple extensions as the IGP may be due to his close ties with the President. They raised concern over such favouritism or political influence in the appointment process.
Meanwhile, the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles is reportedly awaiting the President's approval to appoint Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon as the next top-ranking officer in the police department. However, there has been strong opposition from several civil organizations, the Catholic Church, and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) due to certain allegations against him.
To address the concerns raised by the opposition and civil organizations, it's crucial for the President and relevant authorities to demonstrate their commitment to a fair and transparent process when appointing an IGP.
