By Shamindra Ferdinando
The JVP yesterday said that they would be having a meeting with the PA within the next few days to finalise the appointment of a joint panel to ensure that the government does not incur any further expenditure on the new Janadhipathi Mandiraya under construction, impose a ceiling on travelling abroad of ministers, MPs and officials at state expense, impose a ban on the importation of luxury vehicles for ministers and officials, impose a ceiling on the fuel allowance given to ministers, MPs and officials and find suitable alternate buildings at lesser cost for ministries and state institutions, if they are housed in private buildings despite availability of buildings at cheaper rates with adequate facilities.

The discussions would be centred on the proposed panel, appointment of a parliamentary select committee to find short term solutions to problems faced by local industrialists and businessmen, JVP’s Nandana Gunatilake, MP said yesterday. Gunatilake and the JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake said that they also intend to discuss the appointment of a panel to prevent corruption in the purchases including armaments to be made by the government.

They said that the appointment of a committee comprising trade union representatives would inquire into matters relating to the ILO conventions and establishment of a task force to ensure additional assistance to the displaced people affected by the ongoing north-east war.

Both said that they wanted to have these panels, committees and task forces in place as soon as possible. They implied that they should be able to finalise these bodies immediately after the government names the new 20-member cabinet on or before September 12.

Gunatilake said that they were in touch with the UNP with regard to the establishment of the four independent commissions.

The UNP has a significant role to play in the introduction of the four commissions as the 17th amendment to the constitution had been drafted with the full agreement of the UNP, the JVP and other opposition parties he said, stressing that the "UNP could not withhold support to the process."

"We too are involved in the process," senior UNP MP Tyronne Fernando who represented the UNP in PA-UNP negotiations to set up a government of consensus admitted, pointing out that both the PA and the JVP have accepted the quickest way to establish a constitutional council and the four independent commissions to run the police, the elections office, the public service and the judiciary would be to enact the draft 17th amendment.

He said that the draft would be submitted to Supreme Court probably on next Monday and heard on Wednesday before presentation the bill in parliament the following Monday.

Bimal Ratnayake said that the next major issue would be the establishment of the 8 member constitutional council that would be responsible for making appointments to the four independent commissions.

The council should be in place on or before October 5, 2001. The council would comprise the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader, the Speaker and 5 others nominated by the PM and the Opposition Leader, Ratnayake said.

The council would then make unanimous appointments to the 7 member police commission, 5 - member elections commission, 9 - member public service commission and the 3-member judicial service commission that would include the Chief Justice.

Of the 5 councillors acceptable to both the government and the UNP, two would represent minorities.

Asked to comment on the composition of the council and the commissions, PA, JVP and UNP MPs said that everything would be finalised soon. The sources said that all would have to compromise in a bid to select suitable representatives to the council.