Speculation is rife that President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera is considering resigning from his post in the face of mounting pressure from a number of members of the Government.
Certain uncorroborated media reports claim that this situation is caused by various allegations against Dr. Jayasundera, including taking decisions that have caused governmental failures, and not being available for discussion, and that the current Irrigation Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake is to be appointed to that position.
Whether the allegations that Dr. Jayasundera’s actions have caused certain failures on the part of the Government that have resulted in the Government being inconvenienced are legitimate is yet to be confirmed. However, given his very specific role as the President’s Secretary, how much damage he could possibly do is a question. Even though what a secretary’s remit includes may vary depending on who they are being a secretary to, the nature of a secretary post does not usually warrant action without or outside instructions, and the extent to which a secretary can act on their own accord, is unclear. As far as Dr. Jayasundera’s case is concerned, there is no record of how he acted in a manner he was not supposed to, or in a manner that resulted in adverse outcomes.
Even though in what way he has caused the Government to fail is a mystery, if he was in fact responsible for such an act, why can the Government not reveal it to the country? Doing so would not only save the Government from the shame he has allegedly caused, it would also show accountability on the part of the Government, which the people would be happy to see.
What is more, we cannot forget the fact that the incumbent Government is one of the most powerful governments that came to power in the recent past. It received the support of two-thirds of Parliament to pass the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, despite the Amendment being highly controversial, and is ruling the country at a time the Opposition is largely divided. Furthermore, the 20th Amendment has made President Gotabaya Rajapaksa the most powerful President since J.R. Jayewardene, and the people willingly vested this power in him with the expectation that he would use it to get things done.
In the context of such unprecedented power being held by a government, and its chief executive in particular, is it reasonable for so much blame, from so many angles, to be placed on one individual that does not even occupy the top seat? If Dr. Jayasundera could actually cause failures on the scale of an entire Government, that begs the question as to how powerful he was in his position, what powers he had been vested with, and most of all, why he had not been removed all this time, considering the severity of the charges against him. We have not seen Secretaries to former Presidents being blamed for failures on the part of the relevant Government or President.
Is Dr. Jayasundera about to become the latest of many scapegoats past Governments and the incumbent Government has presented in order to cover their failures and inadequacies, is a concern anyone who wants to know exactly what he is being accused of may have. It is not at all a new practice in Sri Lanka’s political system, and there are many examples. Even in extremely sensitive cases such as the Easter Sunday attacks, the heads of the then-United National Front (UNF)-led Government could be seen trying to place the blame for the failure to avert the attack on then-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and then-Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, and before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to look into the Easter Sunday attacks, it was stated that Pujith Jayasundara was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall for the Easter Sunday attacks.
The whole story about Dr. Jayasundera’s potential resignation and replacement is still in an unclear state, and thus far, no official statement has been issued in this connection. However, if Dr. Jayasundera is being a scapegoat for the Government’s failures, or if he is being replaced because the Government is under the wrong impression that changing the person performing as the President’s Secretary is a solution to its failures – and in the same token, retaining him if he is in fact the cause of unspecified Governmental ills – that is certainly not the right path to take.No more excuses, scapegoats, and blame games
16 Dec 2021
No more excuses, scapegoats, and blame games
16 Dec 2021
Speculation is rife that President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera is considering resigning from his post in the face of mounting pressure from a number of members of the Government.
Certain uncorroborated media reports claim that this situation is caused by various allegations against Dr. Jayasundera, including taking decisions that have caused governmental failures, and not being available for discussion, and that the current Irrigation Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake is to be appointed to that position.
Whether the allegations that Dr. Jayasundera’s actions have caused certain failures on the part of the Government that have resulted in the Government being inconvenienced are legitimate is yet to be confirmed. However, given his very specific role as the President’s Secretary, how much damage he could possibly do is a question. Even though what a secretary’s remit includes may vary depending on who they are being a secretary to, the nature of a secretary post does not usually warrant action without or outside instructions, and the extent to which a secretary can act on their own accord, is unclear. As far as Dr. Jayasundera’s case is concerned, there is no record of how he acted in a manner he was not supposed to, or in a manner that resulted in adverse outcomes.
Even though in what way he has caused the Government to fail is a mystery, if he was in fact responsible for such an act, why can the Government not reveal it to the country? Doing so would not only save the Government from the shame he has allegedly caused, it would also show accountability on the part of the Government, which the people would be happy to see.
What is more, we cannot forget the fact that the incumbent Government is one of the most powerful governments that came to power in the recent past. It received the support of two-thirds of Parliament to pass the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, despite the Amendment being highly controversial, and is ruling the country at a time the Opposition is largely divided. Furthermore, the 20th Amendment has made President Gotabaya Rajapaksa the most powerful President since J.R. Jayewardene, and the people willingly vested this power in him with the expectation that he would use it to get things done.
In the context of such unprecedented power being held by a government, and its chief executive in particular, is it reasonable for so much blame, from so many angles, to be placed on one individual that does not even occupy the top seat? If Dr. Jayasundera could actually cause failures on the scale of an entire Government, that begs the question as to how powerful he was in his position, what powers he had been vested with, and most of all, why he had not been removed all this time, considering the severity of the charges against him. We have not seen Secretaries to former Presidents being blamed for failures on the part of the relevant Government or President.
Is Dr. Jayasundera about to become the latest of many scapegoats past Governments and the incumbent Government has presented in order to cover their failures and inadequacies, is a concern anyone who wants to know exactly what he is being accused of may have. It is not at all a new practice in Sri Lanka’s political system, and there are many examples. Even in extremely sensitive cases such as the Easter Sunday attacks, the heads of the then-United National Front (UNF)-led Government could be seen trying to place the blame for the failure to avert the attack on then-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and then-Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, and before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to look into the Easter Sunday attacks, it was stated that Pujith Jayasundara was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall for the Easter Sunday attacks.
The whole story about Dr. Jayasundera’s potential resignation and replacement is still in an unclear state, and thus far, no official statement has been issued in this connection. However, if Dr. Jayasundera is being a scapegoat for the Government’s failures, or if he is being replaced because the Government is under the wrong impression that changing the person performing as the President’s Secretary is a solution to its failures – and in the same token, retaining him if he is in fact the cause of unspecified Governmental ills – that is certainly not the right path to take.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!