• PMD ‘unable’ to comment 

Three months have passed since the Chairperson of the Right to Information (RTI) Commission resigned, and the continued delay in appointing a replacement has severely impacted its operations, said the Commission's Director General (DG) K.D.S. Ruwanchandra.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, Ruwanchandra said that the Commission is at present facing difficulties due to the absence of a Chairperson. "It has been three months since the former Chairperson's resignation, but, the vacancy still exists. It has severely affected the Commission's functioning," Ruwanchandra pointed out.

As the Commission also had a vacancy for a Member/Commissioner, The Daily Morning queried about it from the DG, and he said that the required number of Members/Commissioners have now been appointed.

When contacted by The Daily Morning regarding the delay in appointing a Chairperson to the RTI Commission, an official from the President's Media Division (PMD) said that they were unable to comment on the matter, noting that the PMD only disseminates available news items. She added that it would be more appropriate to contact the Presidential Secretariat; however, The Daily Morning’s attempts to do so were unsuccessful.

The RTI Commission is the central oversight and enforcement body established under the RTI Act. It operates as an independent statutory body with the authority to conduct inquiries into complaints of non-compliance, recommends disciplinary action against responsible officials, and prosecutes individuals who commit offences as defined under the Act.