To key advisors of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Messrs. K. Balapatabendi and R.K. Chandananda de Silva have been nominated for senior diplomatic appointments with Balapatabendi selected to be Sri Lanka's new High Commissioner in Australia and Chandananda de Silva named for Canada.

The Secretary General of Parliament, in her capacity as Secretary of Parliament's Committee on High Posts, has published the names of 11 new high commissioners/ambassadors designate to various countries.

The High Posts Committee will now screen the candidates named and the public have been given an opportunity of making representations with regard to the nominations should they wished to do so.

Balapatabendi served as Secretary to the President during her first term and part of the second and is currently Chairman of SriLankan Airlines and an Advisor to the President. Chandrananda de Silva, a former Elections Commissioner was later made Defence Secretary. He too serves as an Advisor to the President at present.

Among the new appointments are retired and serving members of the career service including Mr. C.D. Casie Chetty named High Commissioner designate to Malaysia, Mr. S.B. Atugoda, Ambassador designate to Qatar, Bernard Goonetillake, a career officer and former Foreign Secretary and head of the Peace Secretariat now Ambassador to the UN to Washington, Major Gen. Janaka Perera from Australia to Indonesia and Mrs. Kshenuka Senewiratne as High Commissioner to the UK.

Ms. Senewiratne who served as Deputy High Commissioner in London was moved to the Foreign Ministry as Additional Director of Economic Affairs late last month and is now serving in Colombo.

A surprise appointment is the nomination of Mr. W.S. Ratnavale as High Commissioner to Singapore to succeed former Forbes & Walker Chairman Ajit Jayaratne. Ratnavale, the son of Mr. Arthur Ratnavale who served as Permanent Secretary to Defence and External Affairs and Ambassador to Germany during the Sirima Bandaranaike administration, has been educated at Eton and Leicester University in Britain and is currently working in the financial services industry.

Another political appointee is Mr. M.K.M. Keeran, a graduate, named High Commissioner designate to Kenya. Well informed sources said that he is married to Mrs. Ferial Ashraff's sister and is serving as Co-ordinating Secretary in her ministry.

Mr. M.N. Junaid, previously of the SLAS, has been named Ambassador designate to the UAE. He has served as Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping when Mr. M.H.M.Ashraff was minister and later as Secretary to the Ministry of Interior under Mr. John Amaratunga. Junaid currently serves as Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority.

Atugoda who was also a career foreign service officer who has retired and later worked in the Peace Secretariat, quit that job during the previous administration over differences on government policy in the North. Later he joined an NGO dealing with regional strategic studies.

Goonatillake is now serving as Ambassador to the UN and is being moved to Washington to succeed Mr. Devinda Subasinghe, an appointee of the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration, to Washington.

Foreign Office sources said that present Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam will be sent as the new Ambassador to the UN although no formal announcement in this regard has yet been made.

Another political appointee whose name has been published by the High Posts Committee is that of Mr. M.L.M.A. Farook as High Commissioner designate to the Maldives. An attorney-at-law, he contested the Kegalle District on the SLFP ticket and is a director of the People's Bank.

The High Posts Committee notice has also listed for screening two serving Ministry Secretaries, Mr. Mahinda Madihehewa, Secretary to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment and Dr. P.B. Jayasundera Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, for screening.