President Maithripala Sirisena today stated that a “common committee” will be appointed by himself and the Prime Minister to ensure that the most suitable individuals are selected for the top posts in government institutions.

He made the announcement during his speech at the swearing in ceremony of Sri Lanka’s new Cabinet at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

Sirisena stated that when the 100-day government was established it did not engage in a common process for appointing Chairmen and director boards for state corporations, statutory boards and institutions and that the ministers were allowed to carry out those affairs. 

“However, the Prime Minister and I will appoint a general committee and we expect to select suitable and qualified individuals for appointments as Chairmen and to the director boards of state institutions, from next week,” he said. 

Addressing the new ministers, he also said that the appointing of individuals to head the institutions which come under respective ministries, will be made based on the recommendations of the said general committee.

He stated that the Ministers can send their requests to the committee, which will extensively discuss the candidates and decide on the most suitable persons for those institutions with consent of the ministers. 

Forty-two new Cabinet Ministers representing the United National Front and Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which have formed a National Government, were sworn in today before the President. 

The President stated that under the agreement reached between the UNP and the SLFP, various opportunities will be created for the MPs of those respective parties to be able to serve the public and not only through ministerial portfolios.

He stated that the two parties have discussed and decided to select MPs for the Chairmanships of District Development Councils, Regional Coordinating Committees, new working committees to be established in Parliament and the affiliated institutions.

“We have reached an agreement for 2 years in order to work as one group, to as one government when we work within the Cabinet.” 

“Although we have joined together as political parties, we all realize that we are one group and one government within the agreement we have created,” he said.  

The President warned that no matter how secretively politicians and state officials engaged in corruption or irregularities, they do not remain a secret as the public eventually finds out.