National Security Council (Sri Lanka)

National Security Council

Agency overview
Formed	1999
Jurisdiction	Sri Lanka
Agency executive	Ranil Wickremesinghe as President of Sri Lanka, Chairperson

The National Security Council (NSC) of Sri Lanka is the executive body of the Sri Lankan government that is charged with the maintenance of national security with authority to direct the Sri Lankan military and Police.

History

The National Security Council established in June 1999 by an Gazette notification, by President Chandrika Kumaratunga following the military set backs in Operation Jayasikurui taking over direct control of the military from her cousin General Anuruddha Ratwatte, the deputy defense minister. The NSC came to national attention following the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings, in which Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe claimed that although a member, he was not invited to NSC sessions chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena following the 2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis.^[1]

Membership

Structure of the National Security Council^[2]

Chairperson	President	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Statutory Members	Prime Minister	Dinesh Gunawardena
	Minister of Defence	Ranil Wickremesinghe
	Secretary to the Ministry of Defence	General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne
	Chief of the Defence Staff Commander of the Army Commander of the Navy Commander of the Air Force Inspector General of Police	General Shavendra Silva Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana C. D. Wickramaratne
Appointed Members	Personnel appointed by the President Chief of National Intelligence Director, SIS

See also

• National security council

References

1. "Sri Lanka PM not alerted to warning of attack because of feud: minister". Reuters. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
2. Kumaresan, Arun (22 April 2019). "Easter Sunday Bombing: Questions To Minister Of Defence, Law & Order Of Sri Lanka". Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2019.