Amidst vehement protests of SL AS officers and international concerns on militarization of civil service,President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has defended the appointment of ex-military officers to top posts in state institutions.
President Rajapaksa told media heads in Colombo on Friday that high ranking military personnel are trained both locally and internationally in a number of fields including administration.
He said that even the former Government had appointed military officers to head state institutions.
“The former Government-appointed more military personnel to Government institutions than the current Government,” he added.
The United Nations’ human rights chief recently regretting Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw from the co-sponsorship of UN resolutions expressed concern over the government’s recent trend towards of increasing military administration of civilian functions.
Michelle Bachelet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was delivering the country report on Sri Lanka at the 43rd session of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), on Thursday 27.
Political analysts noted that Sri Lanka ‘s strategic nerve centres like defense ministry Colombo port , Sri Lanka Customs, Consumer Affairs Authority, lotus tour project etc..
The President stressed that the newly appointed officials will have to perform well in their respective institutions, failing which he would have take a decision regarding them.
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