Maithri sacks Janaka, Anura and Lohan

President Maithripala Sirisena’s drive to appoint new electoral organizers, replacing those with Rajapaksa loyalties, yesterday led to the sacking of former Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, MP Lohan Ratwatte and MP Anura Vidanagama.

Tennakoon was the electoral organizer for Dambulla and Ratwatte was the electoral organizer for Pathadumbara.

Provincial Councillor W.M. Yasamanna and Chairman of the Dambulla Traders’ Association, U.R. Dayananda, have been appointed as co-electoral organizers of Dambulla. Meanwhile, former Chairman of Pathadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha W.M. Samarajeewa Bandara has been appointed the electoral organizer for Pathadumbara.

Mahiyanganaya SLFP electoral organizer MP Anura Vidanagama was also stripped of his position and has been replaced by K.G. Gunawardane. They received their appointment letters from President Sirisena yesterday.

Meanwhile, 13 district organizers have also been appointed. Nissanka Herath, Asanka Dodamwala, Asela Ekanayake and Linton Wijesinha have been appointed district organizers for Kandy district. Kusumsiri Ariyaratne and Susil Premaratne have been appointed district organizers for Matale district. Salitha Karunaratne, Shantha Ratnayake and Nikson Suriyakumar have been appointed district organizers for Ratnapura district. S. Agildas, B. Gopal Krishnan and K. Karunakaran have been appointed district organizers for Jaffna district. N. Arunathilagan has been appointed district organizer for Mullaitivu. Meanwhile, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, the son of Janaka Bandara, has resigned from the Central Provincial Council, protesting the removal of his father from the post of electoral organizer.

(Source: Ceylon Today – By Rathindra Kuruwita)