Minister clings to his stance on WHO post

One is not sure whether to laugh or cry at last week’s remarks by Health Minister and official government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne.

The Sunday Times (Political Commentary) reported last week that full page advertisements placed in newspapers and wide television news coverage that he was now the World Health Organisation (WHO) Vice President was factually wrong.

A journalist raised questions at his weekly media briefing held after cabinet meetings. Here are highlights

The appointment of Dayan Jayatilleke as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Russia was eventually approved on Thursday by the High Posts Committee of Parliament after President Maithripala Sirisena spoke to some of the members and insisted on the appointment. Earlier, of what he said:

“….The third WHO post I got was Vice Chairman of World Health Organisation (WHO). The post of Vice Chairman is given to an individual. There are 194 countries in the WHO and 35 in the Executive Committee……”

Of course every position or office is given to an individual. That is obvious in that it is a person who has to sit on that chair – not a country. Also, Dr Senaratne’s advertisements claimed he was Vice President? Such a post does not exist. Anyway, one wishes him bon voyage in his ego trip. the committee wrote to the President objecting to the appointment.

Yet, four committee members, whose identities are not known, have said that their objections should be recorded. It is believed they are JVP MPs.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had accordingly recorded their dissent and also informed President Sirisena of the position.

Dr. Jayatilleke, though not a career diplomat, has served as ambassador in Geneva and Paris previously during the Mahinda Rajapaksa Administration.