This tale of two secretaries, that of Secretary to the President Punchi Banda (or P.B.) Jayasundera and the former Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Professor Udith K. Jayasinghe highlights the contradictions and complexities of this government- and raises a vital question: who exactly is in charge?
It was just days ago that Professor Jayasinghe was to remark at a public forum that Sri Lanka was about to face a food shortage and that the food needs of the population would have to be prioritised and vulnerable categories such as pregnant women, children and others would have to be given preference.
The remarks were controversial no doubt and raised many eyebrows. They went viral on social media and were latched on to by opposition politicians who ridiculed the government saying that the vision for ‘prosperity and splendour’ was now likely to end in starvation.
The next day, Professor Jayasinghe was given marching orders. He was removed as Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture. Jayasinghe says he was informed only by a text message, ironically by Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera.
Professor Jayasinghe is not just another government official. He is a much respected academic with qualifications earned in Sri Lanka, Canada, United States, Australia, India and the United Kingdom. He was the Senior Professor and the Chair of the Department of Agribusiness Management at the Faculty of Agriculture & Plantation Management in the Wayamba University, where he was the Vice-Chancellor as well.
Moreover, Jayasinghe contributed the lions’ share in formulating the agriculture policy for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s manifesto when he was running for President. Despite all this, Jayasinghe was shown the door for that one remark which admittedly embarrassed the government.
Those who defend the decision to sack Professor Jayasinghe argue that no matter how impressive his credentials are, he stepped out of line and brought the government in to disrepute with his remarks and therefore, he should go. They contend that if Professor Jayasinghe had any serious concerns about food shortages, he should have raised it with his minister first without taking the issue to the public domain.
We do not know whether the professor attempted that with his minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage or not but what we do know is that he is the fourth secretary to that ministry in 2021, so clearly something is not quite right in that workplace.
Being the professional he is, Professor Jayasinghe didn’t leave quietly. He gave several interviews to media outlets and the ubiquitous social media channels slamming the government and acknowledging he made a mistake by trying to be part of it for the sake of the country and saying he would be better off looking after his own career instead.
Professor Jayasinghe’s dismissal could not have been effected by any other than President Gotabaya Rajapaksa because, according to the Constitution, he is the appointing authority for ministry secretaries. Obviously, the professor’s remarks offended the President who not only sacked him forthwith but in doing so, sent a clear message to other officials as well: they shall only echo their master’s voice.
It is however an entirely different story when issues arose with the Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera. Many ministers have complained about Jayasundera’s conduct claiming that he is a major obstacle in gaining ready access to the President. Their grievance is that Jayasundera is running a ‘one man show’ at the Presidential Secretariat.
These complaints must be viewed in the context of Jayasundera’s chequered history. Jayasundera was Secretary to the Ministry of Finance from 1999 to 2001 and then again from 2004 to 2015, initially under then President Chandrika Kumaratunga and later under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
In 2008 however, Jayasundera was found guilty of a violation of procedure in the awarding of a large contract for the expansion of the Port of Colombo. The court, headed by then Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva also barred him from holding any public office. Jayasundera was forced to quit and also gave a sworn affidavit to court that he wouldn’t hold public office again.
However, it became apparent that this was not to the liking of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. No sooner than the retirement of Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, Rajapaksa ‘invited’ Jayasundera to take up the position of Secretary to the Treasury again. Handicapped by the Supreme Court ruling and his own undertaking, Jayasundera filed an application in that court seeking that he be relieved of that ruling. He was successful although Justice Shiranee Tilakawardena submitted a dissenting judgment.
Jayasundera returned as Secretary to the Treasury in 2009 but even at that time ministers in the Rajapaksa Cabinet loathed him leading to the infamous remark by Wimal Weerawansa who dubbed him the ‘aarthika ghaathakaya’ or the ‘economic assassin’.
Jayasundera left office when Mahinda Rajapaksa left the Presidency in 2015 only to the elevated to the highest office in the public service as Secretary to the President when brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to power in late 2019.
Now though, the cacophony of protest against Jayasundera has reached such a deafening level that he himself has submitted his resignation. President Rajapaksa has reportedly reluctantly accepted it but in a meeting with media he defended Jayasundera strongly saying that the complaints against him imply that the current crises faced by the government are all due to one man, Jayasundera, and that this is not so.
At the time of writing, there has however been no official announcement about Jayasundera’s resignation or his replacement and speculation continues. Apparently, it will be finalised only after Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa returns from overseas- and there are reports that Jayasundera may continue in a different role as an advisor to the Finance Ministry.
This is where the contrast is stark. Professor Jayasinghe was sacked by text message; Dr. Jayasundera’s resignation is being held in abeyance and every effort is being made to fit him in, in some role or the other in the current administration.
There are a few morals in this story. The first is that, even if you are a handpicked professional willing to serve the country, you can see no harm, hear no harm or speak harm of the Rajapaksas. If you do, you are out, the very next day. The second is that, the Rajapaksas cannot survive without Jayasundera and Jayasundera cannot survive with the Rajapaksas
