Military personalities in Cabinet could help SL out of crisis: Dayan J

By Himal Kotelawala

Former diplomat Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke last week expressed his desire to see democratically elected military top brass or “personalities who have proved themselves in the war” help lead the country out of what he called a deepening and dangerous crisis.

Speaking at the third session of the Sri Lanka Economic Forum 2017 held in Colombo, Dr. Jayatilleke said that, as a response to the crisis that Sri Lanka currently finds itself embroiled in, the populace has an opportunity to o “something new” via a refashioned model.

Sri Lanka, he said, has a social force in the military that has proved itself and possesses the skill-set to think strategically, adding that he would like to see former top brass who have proved themselves as successes in turning things around engage in matters of governance. He was quick to emphasise, however, that any appointment of such personalities should be done strictly through democratic means.

 “I would like to see more of them in Cabinet - maybe through the national list, maybe through elections - and people or personalities who have proved themselves during the period of war and the subsequent period of rapid economic growth in the second term,” he said.

Such a combination of personalities and social efforts have to come forward, he further said, in providing the leadership to Sri Lanka in the “midst of a deepening and dangerous crisis.”