Major changes in downsized cabinet

by Manjula Fernando

The new Cabinet of Ministers of President Mahinda Rajapaksa saw drastic changes with not a single minister getting their former ministry or may be an aspired one, while rendering the wild speculations in the media null and void. The critics said this could be President Rajapaksa’s new formula to minimize bribery and corruption in the state sector, a strong pledge given to the people at the April election.

The new Cabinet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa

The new Deputy Ministers with President Mahinda Rajapaksa

The drastically downsized Cabinet, as against the previous one, with only 37 Cabinet Ministers and 39 Deputy Ministers was seen as the first step in fulfilling the people’s aspirations as well as the Mahinda Chinthana Idiridekma policy where the UPFA pledged to cut down on the previous Cabinet which was broadly criticized for being oversized.

The President said he was aware of the big Cabinet and sought a bigger mandate for a stable Government from the people so in turn he could be in a better position to implement people’s wishes and his pledges towards the country’s development into a leading player in Asia.

The previous Cabinet of the UPFA Government comprised 50 Cabinet rank Ministers, 39 non-Cabinet Ministers and 19 Deputy Ministers.

The Government had to offer ministerial portfolios to ‘crossovers’ every time the Government was threatened with losing its position or hold in Parliament so as to brace itself during the difficult LTTE war.

As per the announcement made by the Government after the election, reshuffling of all the ministries were made, which sometimes resulted in ‘raised eyebrows’ when certain portfolios were announced at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday afternoon where the new Cabinet of Ministers took oaths before President Rajapaksa.

Among the Cabinet Ministers of the previous government who did not receive any position in the new Cabinet are Ferial Ashraff (not elected), P. Chandrasekeran (deseased), Prof. Tissa Vitharana (National List MP), Achala Jagoda (National List MP), Chamal Rajapaksa (new Speaker), Prof. Wiswa Warnapala (not in Parliament), Rohitha Bogollagama (not elected), Milinda Moragoda (not elected), Mahinda Wijesekera (indisposed), M.H. Mohomad and Dharmadasa Banda.

The President has postponed appointments of former key Ministers Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Keheliya Rambukwella, non-Cabinet Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and MP S.B. Dissanayake who contested from Kandy district pending the investigations into the Nawalapitiya poll violence incident.

According to the new appointments made on Friday President Rajapaksa retained the portfolios of Ports and Aviation and Highways, the priority development areas of the new government in addition to the Finance/Planning and Defence.

The prized portfolio of External (Foreign) Affairs was given to Prof. G.L. Peiris who was the Investment Promotion and International Trade Minister of the previous Cabinet. Gethanjana Gunawardena has been appointed Deputy Minister of External Affairs.

Former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was sworn-in as Public Management and Reforms Minister while D.M. Jayaratne was offered the Buddhasasana and Religious Affairs portfolio other than his duties in the Prime Minister’s office.

The Religious Affairs Portfolio was retained by the President as in the previous Cabinet giving rise to the thinking that this is a subject regarded as top priority under the Rajapaksa regime.

Among the new elected Members in Parliament only Basil Rajapaksa was given a ministerial portfolio. He was sworns in as the Economic Development Minister while Wimal Weerawansa, the only other new member in the Cabinet was sworn-in as the Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister. This is a combined portfolio held earlier by Rajitha Senaratne who got Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the new Cabinet and Ferial Ashraff who failed to get re-elected to Parliament this time.

Dr. Mervin Silva has been appointed Mass Media and Information Deputy Minister while the Minister of Media is yet to be announced. It is speculated this key portfolio will be offered to former foreign Employment Promotion Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Nimal Siripala de Silva has been given Irrigation and Water Resource Development and his Deputy Minister is S.M. Chandrasena.

Maithreepala Sirisena who was the celebrated Agriculture Minister in the previous Cabinet has been offered the Health portfolio and his deputy is Mahinda Amaraweera.

The former Education Minister Susil Premajayantha is the new Petroleum Industries Minister and Patali Champika Ranawaka, ex-Environment Minister, the new Power and Energy Minister, two key cabinet portfolios, where the country would see rapid development in the immediate future with work already started in the oil exploration front.

Douglas Devananda has been appointed Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister while Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan has been appointed Resettlement Deputy Minister. Milroy Fernando holds the Cabinet Ministerial slot of this portfolio.

Those who received some of the other key ministries are Bandula Gunawardena - Education, Dallas Alahapperuma - Youth Affairs, Mahinda Samarasinghe - Plantations, A.H.M. Fowzie - Disaster Management, Athauda Seneviratne - Justice, Anura Yapa - Environment, Jeevan Kumaratunga - Post and Telecommunication, John Seveviratne - Public Administration and Home Affairs, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena - Agriculture, Kumara Welgama- Transport and C.B. Ratnayake - Sports.

Almost all non-Cabinet Ministers of the previous Cabinet have secured Deputy Minister portfolios including Ranjit Siyambalapitiya - Economic Development, Dilan Perera- Public Administration and Home Affairs, Salinda Dissanayake-Plantations and Industries, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena-Economic Development, Susantha Punchinilame - Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Chandrasiri Gajadheera-Finance and Planning and Duminda Dissanayake-Posts and Telecommunication.

Four Deputy Ministers, former Chief Minister of Uva Province, Vijith Vijithamuni Zoysa - Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, Lalith Dissanayake - Technology and Research, Sarana Gunawardena - Petroleum Industries and elected NFF member Weerakumara Dissanayake - Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development have secured portfolios for the first time.

A one time Education Minister Reginald Cooray who made a comeback to parliament at the April poll was given the Justice Deputy Minister portfolio.

There is also speculation that this Cabinet would be in office till the second swearing-in of President Rajapaksa in November this year and there would be a reshuffling of the Cabinet portfolios again, including that of the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman has said that he was having discussions with the President to agree on a suitable portfolio for himself the time of going to press.

He did not swear-in as a Minister on Friday although CWC MP Muttu Sivalingam who was the former Estate Infrastructure Deputy Minister was sworn-in as the Economic Development Deputy Minister, an office he will be sharing with Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena.

Cabinet Ministers

Prime Minister & Buddhasasana & Religious Affairs - D. M. Jayaratne.

State Management Reforms - Ratnasiri Wickramanayake.

Irrigation & Water Resources Management - Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Disaster Relief - A. H. M. Fowzie.

Health - Maithripala Sirisena.

Petroleum Industries - Susil Premajayantha.

Water Supply & Drainage - Dinesh Gunawardena.

Traditional Industries & Small Enterprise Development - Douglas Devananda.

Local Government & Provincial Councils - A. L. M. Athaulla.

Rehabilitation & Prison Reforms - D. E. W. Gunasekere.

Industries & Commerce - Risath Bathiyutheen.

Construction Engineering Services, Housing & Common Amenities - Wimal Weerawansa.

Power & Energy - Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Economic Development - Basil Rajapaksa.

State Resources & Enterprise Development - P. Dayaratne.

External Affairs - Prof. G. L. Peiris.

Public Administration & Home Affairs - John Seneviratne.

Parliamentary Affairs - Mrs. Sumedha G. Jayasena.

Resettlement - Milroy Fernando.

Posts & Telecommunications - Jeevan Kumaratunga.

National Heritage & Cultural Affairs - Mrs. Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

Environment - Anura Priyadharshana Yapa.

Child Development & Women’s Affairs - Tissa Karaliyadda.

Justice - Athauda Seneviratne.

Labour Relations & Productivity Promotion - Gamini Lokuge.

Education - Bandula Gunawardena.

Plantation Industries - Mahinda Samarasinghe.

Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development - Dr. Rajitha Senaratne.

Indigenous Medicine - Piyasena Gamage.

National Languages & Social Integration - S. B. Nawinna.

Lands & Land Development - Janaka Bandara Tennakoon.

Social Services - Felix Perera.

Sports - C. B. Ratnayake.

Agriculture - Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Transport - Kumara Welgama.

Youth Affairs & Employment - Dallas Alahapperuma.

Co-operatives & Internal Trade - Johnston Fernando.

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[ Deputy Ministers]

Plantation Industries -Salinda Dissanayake

Public Administration & Home Affairs - Dilan Perera

Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development - Susantha Punchinilame

Economic Development -Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena

Finance and Planning -Chandrasiri Gajadeera

Agriculture -Jagath Pushpakumara

Education - T. B. Ekanayake

Health - Mahinda Amaraweera

Ports & Aviation -Rohitha Abeygunawardena

Irrigation & Water Resources Management -S. M. Chandrasena

National Heritage & Cultural Affairs Deputy Minister - Gunaratne Weerakoon

Mass Media & Information -Mervyn Silva

Indigenous Medicine -Pandu Bandaranayake

Industry & Commerce -Jayaratne Herath

Ports & Aviation -Dayashritha Tissera

Post & Telecommunication -Duminda Dissanayake

Economic Development - Ranjith Siyambalapitiya

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing & Common Amenities -Lasantha Alagiyawanne

Transport -Rohana Dissanayake

Livestock Development -H. R. Mithrapala

Highways -Nirmala Kothalawala

Power & Energy -Premalal Jayasekera

External Affairs - Geethanjana Gunawardena

Resettlement -Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan

Local Government & Provincial Councils -Indika Bandaranayake

Economic Development -Muthu Sivalingam

Lands & Land Development -Siripala Gamlath

Disaster Management -W. B. Ekanayake

Social Services -Chandrasiri Suriyarachchi

Co-operatives & Internal Trade -Neomal Perera

State Resources & Enterprise Development -Sarath Gunaratne

Higher Education -Nandimithra Ekanayake

Water Supply & Drainage -Nirupama Rajapaksa

Technology & Research -Lalith Dissanayake

Petroleum Industries -Sarana Gunawardena

Justice -Reginald Cooray

Rehabilitation & Prison Reforms - Vijithamuni Zoysa

Child Development & Women’s Affairs -M. L. A. M. Hisbullah

Traditional Industries & Small Enterprises Development -Weerakumara Dissanayake