Verbal Karate over sports director: President rescinds appointment
An ongoing clash in their common constituency spilled over to the Cabinet on Wednesday and it required the intervention of President Maithripala Sirisena. He directed that the appointment of a Director of Sports be rescinded and a fresh appointment be made.
Initiating the appointment was Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam. His colleague Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera – both from opposite parties in the Kurunegala district -- was infuriated that the appointment was that of an “outsider” when the requirement was that the post should go to a senior administrative level officer from the education service.
Though not a relative, the new director bore the name of the Minister. Minister Kariyawasam said the appointee was a qualified karate expert well versed in sports. Arguments reached a crescendo with Minister Jayasekera alleging that the new recruit was a supporter of the United National Party (UNP). President Sirisena intervened and directed that the appointment be rescinded. He said he would discuss the matter further with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
There was also a publicly unknown revelation that surfaced as a result of the tussle between the two ministers. The Provincial Governor had her son doubling up as her Private Secretary as well. The same son was a member of the Provincial Council that the Governor in question presided over. Some cabinet ministers pointed out that the blatant conflict of interest was one thing. Worse, they claimed, was that the son was running the council through the mother.
There was also a debate of sorts at the same ministerial meeting when it came to the award of a tender for DutyFree shops at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). Both Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera raised issue over the current Duty Free shop licensee being overlooked though he had operated for the past 25 years.
Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva insisted that the selection of a successful tenderer had been made after due process and he was not going to change it. He charged that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had issued licences to operators of duty free shops without considering any criteria. It was agreed that Minister de Silva should make a final decision.