Common Committee to decide on public sector appointees - President

Saturday, September 5, 2015 - 01:00

A Common Committee will be setup to ensure that suitable persons are appointed to the highest posts at public institutions, said President Maithripala Sirisena.

He made the announcement during his speech at the swearing - in ceremony of the new Cabinet of Ministers at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday.

The President said appointments to top posts in government institutions such as state corporations, statutory boards and other public institutions should be made on the recommendations of this Common Committee. He said that the Common Committee will comprise of himself and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to assess the suitability of the individuals appointed to the highest posts, including the Chairmen, the director board etc of such public institutions.

The President further said that the Common Committee will be set up within next week. He said that even if the Ministers, their deputies and State Ministers needed to appoint some one to these high positions of such institutions, the names of applicants had to be directed to this Committee.

He added that the qualification of the applicants would be assessed and examined with the applications of other candidates by the Common Committee before the most suitable individual is appointed.

President Sirisena further said the Sri Lanka Freedom Party has been given 15 ministerial portfolios while the United National Party 33.

He said past experience has made it a real challenge in deciding the ministerial portfolios even for a party which obtained the majority.

The President stated that under the agreement reached between the UNP and the SLFP, various opportunities will be created for the MPs of those respective parties to be able to serve the public and not only through ministerial portfolios.

He stated that the two parties have discussed and decided to select MPs for the Chairmanships of District Development Councils, Regional Coordinating Committees, new working committees to be established in Parliament and the affiliated institutions. "We have reached an agreement for two years in order to work as one group, to as one government when we work within the Cabinet."

"Although we have joined together as political parties, we all realize that we are one group and one government within the agreement we have created," the President added.

The President said the UNP and SLFP have agreed to work as a National Government for two years and the government has to be productive. He added although two political parties have joined hands, all have to work as one government.

The President further stated that the politicians as well as the public servants should always know they cannot engage fraud, corruption and irregularities.