HPC calls for public representations on ambassadorial nominees

• Committee calls for representation day after its members are announced by the Speaker
• Moragoda to India, Dr. Kohana to China
• Former Foreign Sec. Aryasinha picked to head Washington mission, and former Navy Commander to Afghanistan
• Former VC of Col. University Hirimburegama to France and Sanjiv Gunasekera to Tokyo
• Public representation must be given on or before 23 Sept.

The High Post Committee of Parliament has called for representations from individuals and organisations in connection with six of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s nominees named to head Sri Lanka overseas missions.

The notice calling for representations was published in yesterday’s newspapers, a day after the 18-member HPC was named by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. (CK)

Public representations must be given on or before 23 September.

The six nominees are former Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha to head the mission in Washington DC, University of Colombo former Vice Chancellor Kshanika Hirimburegama to France, Ministry of Foreign Affairs former Secretary and one-time Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Palitha Kohonna as Ambassador to Beijing, former Minister Milinda Moragoda to New Delhi, Sanjiv Gunasekera, founder of California based Sunland Group of Companies, as Ambassador to Tokyo, and former Navy Commander Admiral (Retd) Piyal De Silva as Ambassador to Afghanistan.

The HPC is tasked with examining the suitability of any person nominated for posts of Secretaries to Ministries, Heads of Missions abroad and Chairpersons of selected Corporations etc. and call for public representation after the names of the nominees are forwarded to it.

When a nomination is received by the Secretary to the Committee, the nominee is required to submit his/her bio data together with a Declaration of Assets and Liabilities in a prescribed form for examination by the Committee.

Examination of nominees by the HPC is rather a formality than a thorough examination of the suitability of candidates. The Committee consists of 14 ruling party members and four from the Opposition.