Same Advisory Panel For Former President Wickremesinghe & Current President Anura Kumara?
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Recently, Duminda Hulangamuwa, President of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and Professor Anil Fernando from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura were appointed as advisors to presidential Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Following their appointments, numerous misleading posts have gone viral, spreading false claims about them.
Social Media Posts
One such claim compares two images, one featuring former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and another featuring current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, alongside individuals purported to be their shared advisors. The posts suggest that despite leadership changes, the same advisors continue to serve the president, implying no substantial difference in governance.
We decided to do a fact-check on this.
Fact Check:
Image Analysis:
Image featuring Anura Kumara Dissanayake: This photo was taken during an event in August, where the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce presented a policy document titled "Vision 2030" to Anura Kumara Dissanayake at his Pelawatte office. The document, prepared by the Chamber, outlines a strategy for Sri Lanka’s sustainable and inclusive development by 2030.
On Thursday afternoon (01), I had the opportunity to meet with a delegation from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, led by its Chairman, Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa.
— Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) August 2, 2024
During the meeting, they presented a copy of their publication, "Vision 2030" - Five Year Economic Plan. The delegation… pic.twitter.com/Y7xj9vBjZA
Image featuring Ranil Wickremesinghe: The second image shows a similar event in which the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce presented the same document, "Vision 2030," to then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
A comprehensive policy document titled ‘Vision 2030’, prepared by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to guide Sri Lanka towards sustainable and inclusive development by 2030 was presented to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/94tUAxhahH
— President's Media Division of Sri Lanka - PMD (@PMDNewsGov) July 9, 2024
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Mr. Hulangamuwa, appears alongside Chamber staff members in both photos. These individuals were not political advisors to either Wickremesinghe or Dissanayake; they represent the Chamber as industry experts delivering policy recommendations.
Clarification from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce:
We contacted the Manager—Public Relations and External Communications of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, who clarified that Mr. Hulangamuwa did not hold any official position in the previous government.
The Chamber regularly participates in government advisory committees in an honorary capacity, offering expert insights on various industries. The Chamber's leadership and members are often invited to participate in such committees, such as when Mr Hulangamuwa was part of the expert committee to address the public service salary disparities. However, this does not imply serving as an official presidential advisor.
Two Recently Appointed Presidential Advisors
According to Najith Indika, the Director General of the Presidential Media Division (PMD), President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed only two advisors: Professor Anil Jayantha and Mr. Hulangamuwa of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
Multiple advisors have not been appointed, as claimed in viral posts. Cabinet Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath said both appointments were honorary and without a salary payment or other benefits.
Those appointments appeared in the September 30th cabinet decision.
These appointments are limited to those announced by the PMD, and the individuals seen in both images with Wickremesinghe and Dissanayake do not reflect unchanged presidential advisors, as implied by the social media posts.
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Conclusion:
The social media posts suggesting that the same advisors serve both Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Kumara Dissanayake are misleading. The individuals appearing in the photos represent the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and were involved in presenting the "Vision 2030" document to both leaders. They did not serve as permanent or official presidential advisors. The current president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has appointed only two advisors so far. One of them is the Mr Hulangamuwa, who is seen in both photographs as he was serving as the Chamber`s chairman.
