President Denies PM’s Son Chief Minister post; SLFP Old Guard Unhappy

October 3, 2013 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision not appoint Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne’s son Anuradha the Central Province Chief Minister after the September 21 election is irking senior SLFP members, Colombo Telegraph learns.

Anuradha Jayaratne topped the Central Province preferential votes list.

When battles were raging inside the UPFA during the elections campaigns in the Central and North Western provinces, President Rajapaksa promised that the decisions about Chief Ministers would be made based on who tops the preferential votes list.

Anuradha, DM and MR

Dayasiri Jayasekera who informed Government sources said struck a deal with the President about the Wayamba chief ministerial slot garnered a record breaking 300,000 plus preferential votes in the region.

Anuradha Jayaratne, who is the Premier’s son, also topped the Central Province list.

However the Government decided to grant the Chief Minister post to the incumbent Sarath Ekanayake on the basis that the sons of ministers in cabinet could not be made chief ministers.

The decision of the President has raised eyebrows in the SLFP given the rampant nepotistic rule of the Rajapaksa family. Prime Minister Jayaratne has publicly stated that the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa’s son was the Chief Minister despite the Rajapaksa policy.