After two months of political unrest, Sri Lankan Prez reshuffles his cabinet

Colombo, May 2: After months of political unrest between the two main coalition partners, Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena, on Tuesday reshuffled his unity government, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by Sirisena and the ruling United National Party (UNP) led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Eighteen new Cabinet Ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena. 

Some of the notable changes included UNP Member of Parliament, Wijedasa Rajapakse, who was the former Justice Minister but was sacked by President Sirisena in August last year, to be sworn in as the new Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs and Faizer Mustapha, to be sworn in as the Minister of Sports.

SLFP Member of Parliament, Duminda Dissanayake was sworn in as the new Minister of Disaster Management while retaining his portfolio of Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources while United National Front legislator, Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka was sworn in as Minister of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development.

UNP legislator Kabir Hashim was sworn in as Minister of Highways and Road Development while Ranjitha Madduma Bandara retained his portfolio of Law and Order and Minister of Public Administration and Management.

The reshuffle came after six cabinet ministers from the SLFP quit the unity government last month, after they voted in favour of a no confidence motion on Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in Parliament.

While six ministers had resigned, 10 other state and deputy ministers belonging to the SLFP also had vacated their positions. The MPs will sit in the opposition benches in Parliament when Parliament re-reconvenes on May 8.