High Posts committee exercise is futile

Is the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts examining the suitability of persons to state organisations, a futile, money-wasting effort? “Yes I believe it’s a futile exercise. The suitability of candidates must be examined prior to their appointment, not after,” says former parliamentarian D.E.W. Gunasekera.

The attention of the Business Times was drawn by a reader to a May 24 advertisement calling for public representations with regard to 36 appointees as secretaries to ministries and heads of state organisations. “What is the whole purpose of this exercise when they have already served two years in the position? What a farcical exercise,” the reader, a lawyer, noted.

Among the names are SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajit Dias and National Savings Bank Chairman Aswin de Silva, both of whom were appointed in the first quarter of 2015.

Noting that this is the practice over many years, Mr. Gunasekera recalled however that some decades ago the committee examined appointments soon after they were made. “However that changed. When I was appointed Rupavahini Chairman (1998) it was more than a year later that I was interviewed by this committee,” he said.

Whether this committee has powers and whether its directions are followed by the Government is also in doubt. “What happens if an appointee is considered unsuitable? Would the government imple- ment the recommendation?” the lawyer- reader asked. In fact the Business Times learns that though the committee had recommended that the head of a powerful state organization was unsuitable for the post, no action was taken.