Aptitude tests to determine GS promotions?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 January 1999, 16:25 GMT]
The Minster of Administration and Local Governments, Ratnasree Wickramanayake, has sought advice from the Attorney General (AG) whether promotions of 'Grama Sevakas' (GS) can be based on specially conducted aptitude tests.

The minister has taken this move after Batticaloa parliamentarian, Mr. Selvarasa, on January 7 brought to the notice of the minister that Tamil and Muslim candidates have not been given promotions that were given to the GSs recently and that the ministry has failed to maintain appropriate racial percentages when new appointments were made.

The MP said the ministry should either maintain correct racial percentages when giving new appointments or hold special aptitude exams for the GSs in the north and east of the island to correct any imbalance in the existing racial percentages.

The minister has told the MP that he would take a decision after seeking advice from the AG.

Meanwhile some of the leading Sri Lankan businessmen who are involved in finding a solution to the island's conflict are expected to meet the Government representatives tomorrow said sources in Colombo.

The meeting scheduled for last Wednesday was postponed because some of the Government representatives were unable to attend the meeting.

The businessmen will meet representatives of the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), on Tuesday the sources added.