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New Cabinet: Swearing in today

by Ravi Ladduwahetty

A 22 member Cabinet of the United National Front Government will be sworn in today.

In addition, there will be Ministers of non-Cabinet rank and Deputy Ministers, political sources said. The total number of Ministers will be around 50, they added.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who met last night put the final touches to the list of Ministers.

" The meeting went on cordially and the President did not show any objection to the list," sources close to the Prime Minister told the Daily News last night.

The appointment of the Ministers was delayed due to the postponement of the meeting between the President and the Prime Minister which was to be held on Monday night.

Several top rungers from the UNP have been identified for key Cabinet posts. UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya was tipped to take the Power and Energy portfolio while Assistant Leader Gamini Atukorale who held the portfolio of Lands, Forestry and Mahaweli Development in the Ranasinghe Premadasa regime is tipped to take the Transport portfolio. Alick Aluwihare who held the Shipping and Plantation Industries portfolios during the Premadasa regime, is to be the new Shipping Minister.

The Finance Ministry is expected to be divided into Public Finance which is likely to be headed by Bandula Gunawardena and International Finance, which is to be given to President's Counsel K.N. Choksy. The Foreign Affairs portfolio is expected to be taken by Tyronne Fernando. The Defence portfolio is expected to be taken by President's Counsel Tilak Marapone. Former Minister Cultural Affairs, Education and Indigenous Medicine W.J.M. Lokubandara is expected to get the Justice portfolio.

UNP spokesman and former Sri Jayawardenapura University Vice Chancellor Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku is expected to get the Education portfolio. Former Power and Energy Minister P. Dayaratne is expected to receive the Health Portfolio. Gamini Lokuge is expected to get the Tourism portfolio, which he held in the Premadasa regime.

Former PA Ministers Prof.G.L. Peiris and Mahinda Wijesekera are expected to retain their earlier portfolios- Industrial Development and Constitutional Affairs and Forestry and Environment while former Samurdhi Minister S.B. Dissanayake who led the 12 dissidents to the United National Front, is expected to get the portfolio of Agriculture and Poverty Alleviation.

A new face in the Cabinet will be Kurunegala District MP Johnston Fernando, who is tipped to get the Youth Affairs and Sports portfolio.

A new Cabinet Ministry is expected to be created for Internal Security which will handle the areas of Police, Law and Order. That Ministry will be headed by John Ameratunga.

Of the Deputy Ministers' portfolios, Milinda Moragoda is expected to get Policy Planning while Sagala Ratnayaka is to get Youth Affairs and Sports. Among others in the list of nominees for Deputy Ministerial positions are Sajith Premadasa, Navin Dissanayake, P.Harrison, Kabir Hashim, Gayantha Karunathilaka and Indika Bandaranayake.

Ministers of non-Cabinet rank will include Rajitha Senaratne (Lands) Ravi Karunanayake (Trade and Commerce), Mahinda Samarasinghe (Labour and Employment) and Milinda Moragoda (Information Technology Development). 

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