Mahinda Siriwardena has been reappointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Policy Making, Planning, and Tourism, and officially resumed his duties today (25th). The event was attended by Deputy Secretaries of the Treasury, department heads from the Ministry of Finance, and other senior officials.
Mr. Siriwardena, a seasoned ministry secretary, has been at the center of several controversies in the past. He was initially appointed to the role by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Notably, it was during his tenure that Sri Lanka faced an economic collapse and was declared bankrupt.
Despite the challenges, current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who assumed office through Parliament, retained Mr. Siriwardena in his position.
One of the key moments of contention was when Mr. Siriwardena appeared before the court following the President’s declaration that there were insufficient funds to conduct local government elections. He argued that due to the ongoing economic crisis, the funds could not be provided.
Despite a court order to release the necessary funds for the election, Mr. Siriwardena did not take steps to do so.
With Gotabaya Rajapaksa
With Ranil
