“My gut feeling is that I won’t be removed”

PUCSL Chief on parliamentary vote  

• This is an effort to detract the independence of the independent commissions of this country
• Says he will not be joining any political camp, in the event of his removal

By Kalani Kumarasinghe  

The Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake expressed confidence that he will not be removed, ahead of the parliamentary vote to remove him from the institution.  

“My gut feeling is that I won’t be removed by these parliamentarians, as I have always stood with the people” he said. He made these comments addressing media ahead of the full-day debate to remove Ratnayake from the PUCSL scheduled today from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm.  
“This is not a no-confidence motion. This is an effort to detract the independence of the independent commissions of this country. This is an effort to politicize and control electricity, water and fuel,” Ratnayake opined.   

Warning that the elected representatives of the country are being used to take away the independence of the PUCSL, Ratnayake said that Parliamentarians must remind themselves that they are representatives of the public. “It is not a problem of being pro-government or anti-government. It is not even a matter of being in favour of the subject minister who takes arbitrary decisions. It is simply a matter of right and wrong,” he said.   

Ratnayake also said that he will not be joining any political camp, in the event of his removal. “I have political views of my own. My political view is that the country must recover from the economic crisis caused by 75 years of political turmoil. It is not something that can be done by a single person. It needs the support of people. Tomorrow, the foundation will be laid to gather the support of the people,” he said.   

Asked if he intends to join politics in future, the PUCSL Chief said that there have been a number of requests from the public, professionals and religious leaders for him to enter politics. “They all say that we must do something and I have no issue to commit to this,” Ratnayake said.