The Batticoloa Government Agent (GA) post has been vacant for a month and an additional GA was not appointed for the last one year.
The Home Affairs Ministry Secretary had taken steps to appoint a GA through the backdoor ignoring the accepted procedure, the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) in a press release alleged yesterday.
The release signed by CaFFE Executive Director Keerthi Tennekoon said politicians and civil organisation had relentlessly requested authorities to appoint a suitable person for the post. Instead of following a systematic procedure, 19 persons from a list obtained by the Ministry from politicians were summoned for interviews from time to time via telephone calls.
This showed that attempts were being made to appoint a person outside the accepted interviews process. Batticoloa district produced the largest number of suicide bombers during the ethnic war mainly due to its backward socio-economic factors.
Although housing and other mass-scale development projects were initiated in Batticoloa, the district was long suffering without a systematic administrative machinery and human resources shortage.
If the Ministry appoints a GA without following good governance principle, the entire Province will suffer, the press release said.