Sri Lanka’s Parliament has voted to remove Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon from office — the first time in the country’s history that a sitting police chief has been ousted through a parliamentary resolution.
The motion, brought under Section 17 of the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act, No. 5 of 2002, was taken up for debate earlier today and passed in the evening with overwhelming support. A total of 177 Members of Parliament voted in favour, with none opposing and one MP abstaining.
The unprecedented move signals a major development in Sri Lanka’s political and law enforcement landscape, amid increasing public scrutiny of police conduct and calls for institutional accountability.
The government has yet to announce who will serve as the permanent IGP following Tennakoon’s removal. Further developments are expected in the coming days.
