Special report by Devika
A new political storm is brewing over the leadership of the already troubled national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, as Chamindra Lenawa emerges as the only shortlisted Sri Lankan national for the vacant Chief Executive Officer position. The potential appointment follows a recent government policy decision to prioritize a Sri Lankan national over foreign candidates for the top post.
While Lenawa, a businessman and entrepreneur boasts a professional background as an IT specialist with experience in several foreign airline businesses, his candidacy is heavily overshadowed by a complex web of recent political controversies.
Lenawa drew intense national scrutiny in mid-2024when he filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition with the Supreme Court, seeking to delay the presidential election. In his petition, he argued that the President’s term should legally be six years rather than five.
The move was swiftly struck down by a five-judge bench. The Supreme Court subsequently fined Lenawa Rs. 100,000, condemning the petition as an attempt to scuttle the democratic electoral process. At the time, the government and the office of then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe publicly distanced themselves from Lenawa, issuing statements that he had neither consulted the President nor the Executive before filing the petition, and reaffirming their support for the Election Commission’s five-year schedule.
Despite the official distancing by the former administration, Lenawa’s actions fueled widespread political suspicion. Senior Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Sunil Handunetti openly attacked Lenawa during public rallies and television talk shows, alleging that the businessman was executing “dirty work” on behalf of Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Further complicating the narrative are persistent rumors regarding Lenawa’s political backers. Speculation suggests that his controversial FR petition was filed at the behest of a close advisor to former President Wickremesinghe, an advisor who has reportedly since transitioned into a powerful and close confidant of the current President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Lenawa’s political ties extend across multiple factions. In 2020, his name appeared on the national-list nomination for the Jathika Sanwardana Peramuna, a small political party led by Rohan Pallewatte. Pallewatte has since joined the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) and currently serves as a close advisor to opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
As SriLankan Airlines struggles to navigate deep-seated operational and financial challenges, the prospect of appointing a highly polarizing figure with ties to multiple political factions and a recent Supreme Court penalty for attempting to interfere with national elections raises critical questions about the future trajectory of the national carrier.