President has authority to dissolve boards: Harin

• Says BOC Directors likely to be changed 
• President to discuss new appointments with relevant ministers 

By Nuwan Senarathna 

Telecommunication, Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment Minister Harin Fernando yesterday said President Maithripala Sirisena possessed the authority to dissolve Director Boards of State entities.

Under the Government regulations, Boards of Directors of Government organisations need to be dissolved after completing their terms, he told reporters, addressing a press conference held at Sirikotha, the United National Party (UNP) headquarters.

Fernando stated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had told him the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) Board of Directors would be changed, and that the need to change the Director Board of key Government entities was discussed during many occasions.   “Officials of some institutes under the purview of my Ministry were also changed after two years,” he added. Fernando claimed that media reports alleging disagreements had arisen during the Cabinet meeting this week had given the wrong impression of statements made by the President.    

He asserted that President Maithripala Sirisena would discussed with relevant Ministers on appointing new Boards of Directors for the institutes that were dissolved. Fernando pointed out that the President had said that he had issued the directive because the tenure of the respective appointments had lapsed.