President swears in new Cabinet including UNP entrants

18 jumbos cross over:

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday appointed 10 UNP dissident MPs as Cabinet Ministers in the first Cabinet reshuffle under his Presidency.

Eight other UNPers who crossed over to Government ranks were also sworn in as either Deputy or non-Cabinet Ministers.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress which also staged its cross over yesterday was assigned one Cabinet portfolio and five Deputy Ministry slots.

The swearing in took place at the Presidential Secretariat at 10 am. The new reshuffle was marked by several serving Ministers parting with additional portfolios they held earlier while others saw a shift in Ministries.

Among the key changes were the shift of Minister Anura Bandaranaike from Tourism Minister to that of National Heritage while the Foreign Ministry was assigned to Rohitha Bogollagama from its previous incumbent Mangala Samaraweera who retained Ports and Civil Aviation.

Several Deputy or Non Cabinet Ministers too were elevated to Cabinet rank at yesterday's reshuffle.

Chief among them are Felix Perera (Fisheries and Aquatic Resources), Prof Wiswa Warnapala (Higher Education), Kumara Welgama (Industrial Development), Pavithra Wanniarachchi (Youth Affairs) and Chamal Rajapaksa (Irrigation and Water Management) and Milroy Fernando (Public Estate Management and Development).

Jeewan Kumaranatunga who held the non Cabinet subject of Sports conceded the Ministry to UNP cross over Gamini Lokuge after it was elevated to Cabinet rank while Kumaratunga was given Lands and Land Development with Cabinet status.

Former UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya was assigned the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs with the previous incumbent Dr. Sarath Amunugama taking over the subject of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion from Bogollagama.

National List UNP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris was made Minister of Export Development and International Trade, a subject he held under the PA administration.

Government Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella who earlier held the non-cabinet post of Plan Implementation was made a Cabinet Minister (Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare) at yesterday's reshuffle which also saw the entry of Dullas Alahapperuma into Cabinet as the new Minister of Transport.

Veteran UNPer and former Speaker M. H. Mohomed was sworn in the new Minister of Parliamentary Affairs which was part of the portfolio held by Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who retained Highways and Road Development but sacrificed Trade and Consumer Affairs to new entrant from the UNP Bandula Gunawardena.

Another UNP frontliner P. Dayaratne was made Minister of Plan Implementation.

The reshuffle also saw a change in the combined subjects held by a single Minister, eg. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who held the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply has 'Water Supply ' replaced by 'Sacred Areas' with A. L. M. Athaullah assuming the subject of Water Supply and Drainage.

PA General Secretary D. M. Jayaratne who was Minister of Posts and Telecommunications had his Ministry changed to Plantations with the subject handed over to SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem.

The SLMC also received five Deputy Ministry slots while former UNP Matara Heavyweight Mahinda Wijesekera assumed duties as the specially carved out subject of Ministry of Special Projects carrying Cabinet rank with another firebrand MP Rajitha Senaratne sworn in as Minister of Construction and Engineering Services.

Among those who retained their Ministries in their original form were Anura Priyadarshana Yapa (Mass Media and Information), Nimal Siripala de Silva (Health Care and Nutrition) John Seneviratne (Power and Energy), and Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena (Cultural Affairs).

Amarasiri Dodangoda was later sworn in Justice Minister. President Rajapaksa also swore in 20 Deputy Ministers and 33 Project Ministers.

Navin Dissanayake was made Deputy Minister of Investment Promotion while Mano Wijeratne and Hemakumara Nanayakkara were sworn in as Deputy Ministers of Enterprise Development and Agriculture.