President rejects Basil’s proposal to make Hulugalle Chairman of ITN

The President has rejected a request made by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to appoint Director General of the Media Center for National Security (MCNS) Lakshman Hulugalle to fill the vacancy created at the ITN following the appointment of its Chairman, Anura Siriwardena as the Secretary to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, an official from the Presidential Secretariat said.

The President had appointed Rosamn Senaratne to the post of ITN Chairman instead.

The official said that Anura Siriwardena, who had requested the President to appoint Hulugalle as ITN Chairman following a directive by Basil Rajapaksa, was 

  severely reprimanded by the President.

The President had asked if everyone was trying to appoint Basil loyalists as media institution heads to sideline Namal Rajapaksa.

Hulugalle and Basil had worked closely while in the private staff of former Mahaweli Development Minister Gamini Dissanayake.