New appointments to Drug Regulatory Authority during election period?

Ada Derana has reliably learnt that the unlawful appointment of a new board of officials during the pre-election period is to take place tomorrow in connection with the establishing of the Health Ministry’s National Drug Regulatory Authority, abolishing the existing Medical Technology and Supplies Directorate and the National Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory.

According to sources, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the proposed National Drug Regulatory Authority are to be appointed. Professor Lal Jayakody is to be appointed as its Chairman while Professor Krishantha Weerasuriya is to be made the CEO.

As making new appointments, ordering transfers and taking disciplinary action in the state sector at a time when an election has been declared is in violation of election laws, the Minister of Health has inquired from the Elections Commissioner in this regard.

In response to the inquiry, the Elections Commissioner has stated that he has no objections if the recruitments are of officials already engaged in active duty in those respective institutions, due process is followed without political interferences, formally and with transparency without causing reason for complaints.

Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr Rajitha Senaratne, speaking to Ada Derana, said that officials have been named to the established board effective from tomorrow.

He stated that advise was sought from the Elections Commissioner regarding the legality of the said appointments as an election had been announced and that the commissioner had assured there was no issue.