9 new envoys with AF Commander picked to head SL Mission in Canada

• Names of new nominees to head missions in several important capitals, including Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands and Qatar, sent to High Post Committee of Parliament for confirmation
• Most among them are career diplomats

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, who is to retire shortly, has been nominated as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Canada. His name, along with the names of eight others, has been forwarded to the High Post Committee of Parliament for confirmation.

The others named to head Sri Lankan overseas missions are career diplomats; namely, A.M.J. Sadiq as High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ahamed A. Jawad as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Aruni Ranarajah to the Netherlands, Dharshana Perera as Ambassador to Sweden, M.K. Pathmanaathan to Egypt, S.D.K. Semasinghe to Poland, Chaminda Colonne to Thailand, and M. Mafaz Mohideen to Qatar.

The HPC called for representations from individuals and organisations in connection with nine nominees, with the closing day falling on 7 November.

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 calling for public representation after the names of the nominees are forwarded to it.

When a nomination is received by the Secretary to the committee, the nominee is required to submit their bio data together with a Declaration of Assets and Liabilities in a prescribed form for examination by the committee.

The 18 members named to the High Post Committee of the new Parliament are Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Dinesh Gunawardena, Johnston Fernando, Douglas Devananda, Bandula Gunawardena, Keheliya Rambukwella, Udaya Gammanpila, Ramesh Pathirana, Sudharshini Fernandopulle, Vidura Wickramanayaka, John Seneviratne, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Vijitha Herath, Rishad Bathiudeen, Thalata Athukorala, Sarath Fonseka and Dharmalingam Siddharthan.