The Constitutional Council has, for the second time, rejected the nomination of Mr. H.T.P. Chandana for the post of Auditor General.
Mr. Chandana, a member of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Corporation, was nominated by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the position.
Following a vote held during a Council meeting, Mr. Chandana received only three votes in favour and five against.
This rejection follows a similar outcome during a previous Council session, which also failed to reach consensus on the nomination. The last session was convened specifically to re-examine the proposal.
The position of Auditor General has remained vacant for 42 days since the retirement of the previous officeholder, raising concerns over the delay in appointing a successor to this constitutionally significant role, which is central to ensuring transparency and accountability in public financial management.
Meanwhile, several key trade unions within the auditing sector have formally urged the President not to appoint an external candidate.
In a written appeal, the Sri Lanka Audit Services Union, the Association of State Assistant Auditors Union, and the State Auditors Union requested that the next Auditor General be selected from within the department.
They stressed that an external appointment should only be considered if no qualified individual is available within the existing ranks of the Auditor General’s Department.
This latest development underscores a broader institutional debate about political appointments and the autonomy of key oversight bodies.
It also echoes a previous standoff during former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure, when the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as Inspector General of Police became a contentious issue within the Constitutional Council.
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