Thursday Mar 05, 2026
Thursday Mar 05, 2026
Thursday, 5 March 2026 03:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday approved publishing the draft bill to repeal Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009 in the Government gazette before submitting it to Parliament for approval.
The move aims at streamlining defence administration under current national circumstances. “The draft bill has already been prepared by the Legal Draftsman and cleared by the Attorney General,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.
The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2009, shortly after the conclusion of Sri Lanka’s war, to coordinate between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. However, the Government now considers the post non-essential. “The Government and the Defence Ministry believe that the role of Chief of Defence Staff is no longer necessary under the present circumstances. As such, we are moving forward with preparing a draft bill to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act,” he added.
The decision to repeal the Act was taken at the Cabinet meeting held on 24 February 2025 and received unanimous support, he said.
