EPDP member appointed as Commissioner of the Presidential Commission

Former Mayor of Jaffna and member of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Ms. Yogeshwari Pargunaraja has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Commission appointed by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksha  to review the reports of the commissions appointed so far to look into alleged human rights violations and accountability issues during the last war in Sri Lanka.

A special gazette notification in this regard was issued yesterday.

Mrs. Yogeshwari Pargunaraja is a member of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), which is a  coalition partner of the Pothujana Peramuna,  led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, and  functioned as a paramilitary group during the war.

Several cases had been filed in the courts in the past alleging that the EPDP was involved in various murders and crimes during the war. Human rights activists have been posting on social media that the appointment of a member of such a party as the commissioner of the commission clearly shows the government’s intention.

The commission, chaired by Supreme Court Judge A.H.M.D. Nawaz, consists of retired IGP Chandra Fernando and retired District Secretary Nimal Abeysiri.

The commissioners are tasked with,
• Finding out whether preceding commissions of inquiry and committees which were appointed into human rights violations have revealed any human rights violations, serious violations of international humanitarian law and other such serious offences;

• Identifying what are the findings of the said Commissions and Committees related to the serious violations of human rights, serious violations of international humanitarian laws and other such offences and whether recommendations have been made on how to deal with the said facts;
• Looking into the manner in which those recommendations have been implemented so far in terms of the existing law and what steps need to be taken to implement those recommendations further in line with the present Government policy;
• Overseeing if necessary action is being taken.

They have been directed to submit the final report with its investigations, inquiries and recommendations within a period of six months since its appointment.