President Maithripala Sirisena has sabotaged his own recruitment process for the high-profile state assignments when he appointed former provincial governors Reginald Cooray and Niluka Ekanayake as heads of state institutions.
Niluka Ekanayake
Cooray has been appointed the Chairman of the National Gem and Jewelry Corporation while Ekanayake has been appointed the Chairperson of the State Timber Corporation. Both institutions directly come under the purview of President Sirisena.
President Sirisena issued a circular last week to ministry secretaries informing them of a committee to vet the resumes of individuals by Cabinet ministers to head state institutions. The President also instructed them to appoint the heads only after the recommendations of the committee, headed by Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne.
The President has also informed the committee that the heads of all state institutions should be university graduates with relevant professional qualifications and managerial experience.
However, both Cooray and Ekanayake do not meet the standard set by the President. They are not university graduates nor do they have any managerial experience. Cooray is a teacher by professional training while Ekanayake is an astrologer.
Both of them were not retained as governors when Sirisena appointed new governors to all provinces earlier this week.
chiv / January 11, 2019
Galbani, I am with you on this. Lankans have successfully managed to screw Lanka (after screwing every one and every thing else). That makes the country and people special and pathetic.
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CITIZEN / January 11, 2019
Ekanayake has been appointed to view “Anjanam” about the timber cutting people!
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K.Anaga / January 11, 2019
‘OOrukku Upathesam Unakkaladi’ ( a Tamil saying) said a husband to his wife- meaning what ever good things I tell the people around me is not meant for you and me. You carry on as usual.
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justice / January 11, 2019
Sirisena probably thinks that their experience as governors is sufficient to learn the intricacies of their new appointments.
Of course, academic qualifications could be additional criteria for even governors – apart from political criteria.
Their former appointments as governors was the time when any protests should have been made.
If they could be governors, why not as heads of state bodies?
Does the Constitutional Council have any say on appointments of governors??
Are there selection criteria for governors??
P.S
Astrology is an unscientific “art” – just like ‘anjanam reading’, thovil, bali ceremonies, devil dancing etc.
The late Abraham Kovoor challenged the charlatans who practised them.
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Ponn / January 11, 2019
President behaves similar to Donald Trump whose popular rating has gone to rock bottom at 33%. Likewise, every action that Mr Sirisena takes has opposite reaction from the public.
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AshyD / January 12, 2019
There is nothing to be surprised of what our President does. HE IS A JOKER.
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C gunatillake / January 14, 2019
President is not only a joker,he is a lier,every thing he said in past ment nothing.He said that if he had to appoint RW as a priminister he will resign within an hour.We are still waiting.What this ment is the politicians in Srilanka can go on telling lies, appoint any body they want and they know people still vote for them.There must be some truth in the position Srilanka hold in the world IQ table
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