Speaker names members to High Post Committee

• Fourteen from Govt. and four from Opposition appointed

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday named 18 members to the High Post Committee of Parliament.

Its members are Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Dinesh Gunawardena, Johnston

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

Fernando, Douglas Devananda, Bandula Gunawardena, Keheliya Rambukwella, Udaya Gammanpila, Ramesh Pathirana, Sudharshini Fernandopulle, Vidura Wickramanayake, John Seneviratne, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Vijitha Herath, Rishad Bathiudeen, Thalatha Athukorala and Sarath Fonseka.

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.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s nominees to head several important capitals overseas will be among the first to be scrutinised by the HPC.

These include former MP Milinda Moragdoa who will go as High Commissioner to India and Palitha Kohona, who served as Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later as Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, as Ambassador to Beijing. Examination of nominees by the HPC is more a formality than a thorough process of the suitability of candidates, with ruling party members getting the majority seats in the committee as is the case with all Parliamentary committees.