A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, May 27, 2017
Cabinet reshuffle creates new problems
Leaving
alone solving the existing problems, the cabinet reshuffle of the
‘Yahapaalana’ government has created new problems. It was widely
expected that ministers who had been a failure, would lose their
positions. But nothing of the sort happened, and only a change of heads
occurred.
The new trouble is over the ministers, who have had their portfolios
changed, are unwilling to let go of their previous affiliate departments
and corporations. Although Ravi Karunanayake left the finance ministry,
he had asked, even prior to the cabinet reshuffle, that certain
institutions coming under that ministry be attached to his new ministry,
foreign affairs, and the prime minister has agreed to that.
Accordingly, National Lotteries Board, Development Lotteries Board,
SriLankan Airlines, Elkaduwa Plantations and some other institutions are
to be given to the foreign ministry, but the relevant gazette
notification is yet to be issued. That is because the president has
refused to approve that.
In the meantime, the secretary and other top officials in the foreign
ministry are reportedly trying to avoid responsibility for the
institutions to be newly-attached. That is because the foreign ministry
and its institutions are tasked with huge responsibilities, while those
to be added are directly involved with the economy. Previously too, when
Rohitha Bogollagama was the foreign minister, ministry officials
refused to accept responsibility for the institutions coming under his
added portfolio of investment promotion. If such a situation occurs,
those institutions will have to be come under a separate ministry.
Meanwhile, new lands and parliamentary affairs minister Gayantha
Karunatilake has asked that he be allowed to retain the State Printing
Department and the State Printing Corporation, which are under his
previous portfolio, media. It is a question as to how those institutions
qualify to come under his new ministry.
In the event Ravi is given the institutions coming under finance,
Gayantha will have to be given what he asks for from the media. If that
happens, finance and media minister Mangala Samaraweera will be left
with signing the newly-printed currency notes, presenting the annual
budget to parliament, holding briefings and issuing statements to the
media.