Reshuffle: No major shocks but Cabinet increases to 57

*Five Deputies promoted
*Five cabinet, 5 deputy posts shuffled
*‘High Octane’ portfolio for impeachment PSC Chairman Yapa

January 28, 2013, 12:00 pm

by Dasun Edirisinghe

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet reshuffle yesterday held no shocks. However, the Cabinet of Ministers was increased from 52 to 57 with the elevation of five deputy Ministers.

The portfolios of five Cabinet ministers were changed and so were those of six Deputy Ministers. Two project Ministers were also appointed.

The Ministers and Deputy Ministers were sworn-in before President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday morning.

According to the President’s Media Division, deputy Ministers Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Jayaratne Herath, Duminda Dissanayake, Vijithamuni Zoysa and Basheer Segudawood were sworn in as ministers of Investment Promotion, Botanical Gardens and Public Entertainment, Educational Services, Wildlife Conservation and Productivity Promotion respectively.

Susil Premajayantha was sworn in as Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy while Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was appointed the Minister of Petroleum Industries.

Former Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka was sworn in as Minister of Technology and Research while Pavithra Wanniarachchi was given the Power and Energy portfolio.

Former Minister of Productivity Promotion Lakshman Seneviratne was sworn in as the Minister of Sugar Industries Development while Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Nirmala Kotalawala were appointed as the Project Ministers of Ports and Highways.

Presidential Media Coordinating Secretary Wijayananda Herath said that S. M. Chandrasena, Susantha Punchinilame and M. L. A. M. Hisbullah were sworn in as Deputy Ministers of Economic Development while Faizer

Musthapha, A. R. M. Abdul Cader and Sarath Kumara Gunaratne were sworn in as deputy ministers of Investment Promotion, Environment and Renewable Energy and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources respectively.

According to the reshuffle, five new deputy ministerial portfolios were created while the six deputy ministerial portfolios held by Duminda Dissanayake (Youth Affairs and Skills Development), Vijithamuni Zoysa (Education), Jayaratne Herath (Industry and Commerce), Basheer Segudawood (Co-operatives and Internal Trade), Faizer Musthapha (Technology and Research), Sarath Kumara Gunaratne (State Resources and Enterprise Development) and M. L. A. M. Hisbullah (Child Development and Women Affairs) were left vacant.

The number of Cabinet Ministers increased to 57 with yesterday’s reshuffle. Now 52 per cent of the MPs in the ruling coalition have either Ministerial or Deputy Ministerial portfolios.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne hold five ministerial portfolios in the Cabinet.

In addition to these ministers of the cabinet there are ten senior ministers.