Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday, 28 January 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Chief Prelates have called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to appoint the next Auditor General from within the Auditor General’s Department, cautioning against the selection of an external candidate for the post.
In a letter addressed to the President, the Chief Prelates of the three main Buddhist chapters said a senior official with long-standing experience in the department should be appointed without further delay. They identified Dharmapala Gammanpila, a senior officer of the department, as a suitable candidate for the position.
The letter was signed by the chief incumbents of the Malwatta, Asgiriya, Amarapura, and Ramanna Chapters.
The office of Auditor General has remained vacant since W.P.C. Wickramaratne retired in April 2025. Gammanpila was appointed to perform duties in an acting capacity following the retirement, but his acting tenure ended in December 2025. Since then, the post has remained unfilled, with several nominees reportedly proposed by the President to the Constitutional Council failing to secure approval.
The prolonged delay has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the Government of neglecting a key constitutional office responsible for overseeing public finance and ensuring accountability in the use of State resources.
In their letter, the Prelates said the continued absence of a permanent Auditor General has led to public discussion and concern over the effectiveness of State financial oversight. They warned that the delay could contribute to negative perceptions regarding the Government’s economic management.
The Prelates stressed that the Auditor General plays a central role in safeguarding transparency and accountability in public finance, and maintained that appointing an individual from outside the department would be inappropriate given the technical and institutional demands of the office.
