The four independent commissions on the police, elections, public service and judiciary will be put in place soon after the constitutional council is appointed as the functions of the new parliament begins today, government sources said.

The appointment of the constitutional council which would appoint the four independent commissions, was held back with the no-confidence motion against the last government and the subsequent dissolution of parliament. However before the dissolution of parliament there was disagreement among various sections represented in parliament on the appointments to the constitutional council with widespread disagreement on the Sri Lankan Tamil and the Indian Tamil appointments.

The Constitutional Council comprises of ten members viz. the Speaker, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, one nominee from the minor parties in parliament, representatives from the Muslims, Sri Lankan Tamil and Upcountry Tamil communities, and three jointly nominated by the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader.

Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Industrial Development G. L. Peiris had told the Mahayanake Theras on Monday that the implementation of the seventeenth amendment to the constitution will be completed before the end of January 2002. The seventeenth amendment to the constitution was mooted by the UNP while in opposition with a view to depoliticising the system. However the legislation drafted by the UNP was modified and unanimously approved by Parliament after the PA hitched a deal with the JVP for a probationary government. (KA)