Blatant political favouritism in Sri Lanka's academia has been exposed with a number of politicians in the ruling party MPs "recommending" an academic for the Vice Chancellor post of the North-Western Province University.

The purposted recommendation letters sent to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa have been leaked to social media.

State Ministers Sanath Nishantha Perera, D,B. Herath, MP Gunapala Rathnasekera and several others have sent letters to the President recommending Professor H.M.A. Herath for the Vice Chacellor post of the North Western Province University.

In addition to several politicians, the Kuliyapitiya Branch of the Viyathmaga organisation and an SLPP-affiliated union of academics have also sent letters to the President recommending the same person for the post. In all these letters, Prof. Herath's affiliations with them have been cited as the main reason for his appointment.

The purported recommendation letters make it obvious that Prof. Herath had lobbied several influential parties to secure the post.