Nandasena Govt Appoints Tissa Attanayake’s Daughter As Diplomat To Australia; Fifth Column Inside SJB?

Dulmini Attanayake

JANUARY 28, 2021

Breaching his own pledges to end nepotism in government President Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Government recently delivered a bonanza of diplomatic posts to the sons, daughters and nephews of ministers and regime loyalists and in a shocking twist, the list includes the Dulmini Attanayake, the daughter of newly minted National Organizer of the main opposition SJB.

Colombo Telegraph learns that Dulmini Indrachapa Attanayake has been appointed as the Third Secretary to the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Canberra, Australia. Dulmini Attanayake already resides in Melbourne Australia.

Dulmini Attanayake is one name among a list of political appointees to Sri Lanka’s embassies overseas recently approved by President Nandasena Rajapaksa. Every appointee is the son or daughter of SLPP politicians and regime loyalists.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunge’s daughter Pavitra Ranatunga who also resides in Adelaide Australia has been appointed Third Secretary to the Sri Lankan Consulate in Sydney.

Minister Bandula Gunawardane’s daughter Randula Gunewardane will soon leave for New York, as Third Secretary to the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.

Former Rajapaksa critic Duminda Dissanayake’s brother Amila E Dissanayake has been appointed Third Secretary to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Paris.

Daughter of SLPP Loyalist Mohan Samaranayake and currently Director General, Presidential Media Subashini Samaranayake has been appointed Third Secretary to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Vienna.

Thulasi Samarasinghe, the nephew of former Navy Chief and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe has been posted as Third Secretary to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore.

But while family bandyism has been a hallmark of Rajapaksa Governments political analysts said the true shocker was the appointment of Tissa Attanayake’s offspring to a Embassy overseas under a SLPP presidency. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa recently appointed a host of new office bearers to lead the SJB, giving Attanayake a plumb post as National Organizer.

Tissa Attanayake who crossed over to the Rajapaksa Government shortly before the 2015 January presidential election, was the UNP’s worst performing General Secretary. After former UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa broke from the Grand Old Party to form his own Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Attanayake joined the party. After the parliamentary elections in August 2020, Attanayake was named as MP in the SJB National List.

Attanayake’s daughter Dulmini was previously posted – also to Canberra – after the 2018 coup attempt by former President Maithripala Sirisena. However strong opposition from the Finance Ministry to her appointment resulted in the posting being cancelled.

Tissa Attanayake has maintained long-standing ties to the Rajapaksa regime since 2013-2014. In 2014, Rukshan Jayasinghe former UNP MP Chandrani Bandara’s son was posted as a diplomat in the UAE. This diplomatic appointment was considered to have been a favour from the Rajapaksa Government to Tissa Attanayake for services rendered as a failing UNP General Secretary.

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