Austin Fernando Presidential Secretary

Sunday, July 02, 2017

Senior civil servant and Eastern Province Governor Austin Fernando will assume duties as Presidential Secretary from Tuesday.

He will replace P.B. Abeykoon who stepped down from the post of Presidential Secretary on Friday. Mr. Abeykoon cited personal reasons for stepping down.

Mr. Fernando confirmed to the Sunday Times yesterday that he had accepted the post and would resign from the Governor’s post tomorrow.

Mr. Fernando had also served as the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence in the UNP-led government of 2001-2004 and was appointed as advisor to President Maithripala Sirisena when he was elected in January 2015.