176 apply for hangman’s job

Published on 29/08/2012 01:17

SRI Lanka has begun interviewing applicants for the post of public hangman, a year after two posts fell vacant.

The mainly Buddhist Indian Ocean island nation has 480 convicts on death row, but has not used the death penalty since 1976, despite a long and bloody war against Tamil separatists.

Its prisons’ department commissioner of operations, Gamini Kulatunga, said: “About 176 people have applied and will be interviewed today and tomorrow. Only males are eligble for the post.”

The two posts fell vacant after one hangman was promoted and the other retired.