Namal and Basil engaged in close battle to appoint people to Dayaratne’s ministry

Minister Basil Rajapaksa and parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa are engaged in a close battle to appoint chairmen and directors to institutions under the purview of Public Resources and Enterprise Development Ministry, sources from the Ministry said.

Sources added that Ministry Secretary Willie Gamage is currently under great pressure from both individuals where appointments are concerned.

The President it is learnt is angered by Willie Gamage’s decision to appoint several individuals to institutions under the purview of the Ministry following recommendations by Basil Rajapaksa when the task of appointing members to statutory boards and corporations have been

  assigned to Namal Rajapaksa and Additional presidential Secretary Gamini Senarath.

The President had issued a stern warning to Gamage not to appoint any members to the institutions under the purview of the ministry without receiving Namal’s and Gamini’s approval.

Although a large number of institutions have been allocated under the Public Resources and Enterprise Development Minister P. Dayaratne, he has been unable to appoint any of his supporters to at least the boards of any of the institutions.