Hashim, Rajiva at loggerheads over UGC Chairman's resignation.

From Ceylon Daily News

Cabinet Minister for Higher Education and Investment Promotion Kabir Hashim's decision to request for the resignation of University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Kshanika Hirimburegama, has upset State Minister for Higher Education Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha who claims he was kept in the dark regarding the matter.

The issue has received much media attention with Prof. Wijesinha having gone to the extent of announcing that he will resign from his ministerial post as his position has become untenable as a result of Hashim not informing him about the decision.

When asked from Prof. Wijesinha whether he has resigned from his state minister portfolio he said, "the situation is such that I have given a letter to the President regarding the matter. How can I carry out my duties as a minister, when I am not apprised of important decisions such as the resignation of the Chairman of the UGC or its members as in this case?

"They can ask me to resign so that there will be no coarseness inflicted on anyone," he said.

Asked if he discussed this with Cabinet Minister Hashim, Prof. Wijesinha said, Hashim told him that he asked the UGC Chairman to resign under pressure by Federation of University Teachers' Association (FUTA).

"This is what should not have happened. If there were problems at the UGC, they have to be investigated to find out where they are, to solve them effectively," he explained. "If you succumbed to pressure and take decisions according to the whims and fancies of organizations without any proper investigations being conducted into them, where are you going to end up?" he asked.

"Hashim had told me that he will speak to the President about giving me a Cabinet ministerial post. I was contacted by President Maithripala Sirisena regarding my decision to resign. He asked me what was happening. I explained to him the situation I was in and the decision by Hashim to ask for the UGC Chairman's resignation. The President said he did not know any of these things."

Asked if he discussed the matter with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prof Wijesinha said the Prime Minister too was not aware about it. As pointed out by him, neither President Maithripala Sirisena nor Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had been apprised of the decision by Minister Hashim to ask for UGC Chairman Prof Hirimburegama's resignation.

Commenting further on his letter submitted to President Sirisena, Prof. Wijesinha said, "I have explained three possibilities or points, that can be worked out under the circumstances, one is that I shall resign from my post, the second that I will be made a Cabinet Minister, the third is something that I do not want to talk about right now," he added.

When told that our attempts to contact Minister Hashim were not successful, Prof Wijesinha said; "I was told that Minister Hashim does not want to be disturbed for at least two days for personal reasons, that he wants a quiet environment for a few days"