Sri Lanka’s senior Buddhist prelates have urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to appoint the most suitable senior official from the Auditor General’s Department to the post of Auditor General, warning against selecting an external candidate.
In a letter sent to the President, the chief prelates of the three main Buddhist chapters said Dharmapala Gammanpila, a senior officer with long experience in the department, would be an appropriate choice for the post and called for an urgent appointment.
The position has remained vacant since former Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne retired in April 2025. Gammanpila was appointed to cover duties on an acting basis, but his tenure ended in December 2025. Several nominees proposed by the President to the Constitutional Council have reportedly been rejected.
The delay in appointing an Auditor General has been raised repeatedly by opposition parties, who have blamed the government for failing to fill the key post overseeing public finance and accountability.
The prelates said delays in the appointment have led to public debate over state financial oversight and could fuel negative perceptions about the government’s economic programme.
They stressed that the Auditor General’s post is crucial for ensuring transparency in public finance and said appointing someone outside the department would be inappropriate. (Newswire)
