Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations

Friday, March 7, 2014

New deal between Ranatunga-Rajapaksa families!

Friday, 07 March 2014

The Ranatunga family and the Rajapaksa family have agreed to bring about several changes to the administration of the game of cricket, reports say.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka Cricket is to be dissolved and an interim committee headed by former captain and MP Arjuna Ranatunga is to be appointed.

The posting of Arjuna’s brother Nishantha, presently the SLC secretary, as chairman of Mihin Lanka Airline is thought to be the first step towards those changes in cricket administration.

This step has been taken due to the legal blockades that prevent two brothers being appointed to the same institution and also that Nishantha is the main respondent in irregularities committed at SLC.

As per the amendments introduced to the Sports Act recently, only a general meeting and not an election, should be conducted for the cricket’s governing body.

These decisions have been taken following talks between the Ranatunga and Rajapaksa families due to suspicion that Arjuna was going to accept the UNP’s Kalutara district organizer position before the polls for the western and southern provincial councils are held.

After Arjuna declared that he would not support the UNP, his brother Prasanna was named the chief ministerial candidate.

Another member of the Ranatunga family, Ruwan, too is a UPFA MP.

Arjuna had reportedly prevented another brother Sanjeewa, presently employed in the Sirasa Media Network, from contesting for Gampaha on the UNP ticket at the WPC polls.

In a show of gratitude, Sanjeewa is to be appointed to a top position at Mobitel soon, reports add.