Sri Lanka's Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) secretariat is to be within the purview of the country's Ministry of Defense, following the election win of President Maithripala Sirisena.
President Sirisena announced his decision, a day after taking oath, to retain the Ministry of Defense under his remit and appointing himself as Defence Minister.
A gazette notification issued on January 10, confirming the move, places the Secretariat for NGOs under the Defence Ministry's 'Departments, Statutory Institutions & Public Corporations' along side the army, the navy and the air force.
Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration, and Registration of Persons is also included under the MoD.
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The former President Mahinda Rajapaksa also appointed himself as Defense Minister during his presidency. At the time, Sirisena served as Acting Defense Minister for the final two weeks of the armed conflict.
President Sirisena, on Sunday, appointed the former secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy Mr. BMUD Basnayaka to serve as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, replacing the previous Rajapaksa's brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
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